Nixie the Dragon: Season 3a
by C-Alrich
Summary: Nixie's back! This is the walk through of Season 3a of Teen Wolf, with my character, Nixie, thrown into the mix. Hope you all enjoy it. As always, this is rated M for language, certain scenes/suggestions, and my own paranoia. Danger, excitement, and humor all around! :)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

Hello Everyone! Did you miss me?

As always, I wanted to give you guys a heads up. Just like the people at MTV did with season 3 of Teen Wolf, I will be breaking the third season into two different parts (A and B). So this is the start of Teen Wolf Season 3a, with Nixie weaved into the plot.

Thank you to everyone who has read and commented to me on these stories. At one point in time, I didn't even really want to post these stories. I was so sure that I was the only one who would actually like what I was writing and trying to do. But you guys are awesome, and have let me know that you love reading these works as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

As usual, I've interrupted you from starting the story. And as usual, I'm sorry. Here is the beginning on Teen Wolf Season 3a, with Nixie! Enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter 1: Episode 3x1

"Boy, good thing you drew me a picture."

Nixie smirks while Scott just smiles up at the big, bald, tattoo artist before them. When Scott had shown it to her the first time, she hadn't really known what it was supposed to mean. And Stiles, to this moment, still doesn't like the thing at all.

But Scott's a werewolf. And he told Nixie that it was something that he'd been thinking about for a while… dreaming about even.

So, though Nixie's not sure what exactly is supposed to come of this symbol that he's pictured in his head, she's all for it. Getting it tattooed on his arm seemed to be a little excessive, at least in her opinion. But it was Scott's 'reward', so to speak, so it was his to choose. And since he'd been thinking about it for a while, even before summer had started in fact, Nixie felt that it was a good thing to go with as far as his first tattoo went.

That's why Scott asked Nixie. She had rules about tattoos. Not that the boys had to follow them, but she had a set of ideas about them that, he himself, thought were pretty good. And the top rule on the list was that, you couldn't just get a tattoo that you'd seen or drawn and wanted just for one day. It had to be something that you've had time to mull over and think about for a while. For Nixie, herself, if she ever did get a tattoo, she'd set the time limit for a year. If she could stick with the same idea for at least a year, then she figures it's something she'll be able to look at and enjoy for the rest of her life.

Scott had only wanted his for four or five months, but Nixie figures the time limit doesn't have to be so strict with him. So here they are, with a slip from Scott's mom that said she was fine with him getting the tattoo, and readying themselves to needle these two bars across Scott's arm.

Bars… circles… whatever you want to call them. Nixie will call them circles when they're actually all the way around his arm. Right now, on the paper, they look like two bars. One slightly larger than the other. Pretty simple, actually.

Hence the guy's sarcasm on the fact that Scott had drawn him a picture to go by.

Nixie pats Scott's shoulder and says, "And a beautifully done drawing at that." The guy grins at her, and then moves around to grab his workstation and inks so he can get started. As he's moving around, Stiles turns around to them and asks, "Hey Scott, you sure you don't want something like this?"

The picture he shows them, of a lizard type creature, has Scott giving him an exasperated look. And then he grins when Nixie says, "I think Scott and I are good. If you would like one to commemorate one of the worst years in existence though, I'm sure that can be arranged. Right Howard?"

The tattoo artist, Howard, smirks a little at her and says, "I can fit him in right after this one if you like." "See! Howard's on board! How bout it Stiles?" Stiles gapes at her for a moment, and then quickly sits the booklet of tattoos aside and says, "Um, I think I'll pass. Is it too soon? It's probably too soon. Yeah, I think so."

Nixie laughs at him, but then doesn't argue when Stiles says, "Are you sure about this though, Scott? These things are pretty permanent, you know?" Scott nods and says, "I'm not changing my mind." "Okay, but why two bands?" "I just like it."

Scott doesn't miss the gentle slap to the back of his head that Nixie gives him. If he didn't want to tell them, in full, exactly why this tattoo was what he wanted first, then that was his choice. She'd told him as much when he didn't go into much more detail about the design when she asked him earlier in the week. But… she had made a solid point of ensuring that this wasn't just something he'd thought about and just 'liked' for a week or so.

Looking back at her, grinning gently, he nods that he understands. She wasn't really berating him. Just reminding him that he'd better damn well have a better reason for getting the tattoo, aside from 'just liking it'.

And she knew that he did, which is why she smiles back, and then glances at Stiles when he tacks on, "Yeah, but don't you think your first tattoo should have some sort of meaning, or something?" Scott shrugs and says, "Getting a tattoo means something." Stiles grins and says, "I don't think that's accurate."

But then Howard says, "He's right. Tattooing goes back thousands or years. The Tahitian word 'tatua' means 'to leave a mark'. Like a rite of passage." Scott smiles and says, "Yeah, see? Howard gets it." Stiles gives him a look and says, "He's covered in tattoos, Scott. Literally."

But Scott grins in victory when Nixie holds up her phone and says, "He is right though. I just looked it up." Of course, as they share a look, Scott knows that Nixie remembers what getting the tattoo actually means for him. Not the Tahitian translation or meaning… but something else.

But Nixie had promised to keep that private for now, and she smiles and nods at him gently, affirming that she is still keeping it between them. Then, patting Scott on the shoulder, she looks at Howard and asks, "Are we ready?" Howard holds up his needle and says, "Whenever he is."

Scott nods and clears his throat, settling into the seat as comfortably as he can. Then Howard asks, just to be sure, "You don't have problem with needles, do you?" "Nope." Then he glances at Nixie, standing right next to Scott's other shoulder, and she says, "Don't like em'. Not gonna throw up on you or anything though. No worries."

So he starts in, but then Stiles says, "Actually, I tend to get a little squeamish though, so…" As Howard begins needling the pattern onto Scott's arm, blood leaking out from where he penetrates, Stiles looks at it intently for about two seconds, and then collapses on the floor.

Nixie sighs and says, "I told him he shouldn't start watching." Scott nods, wincing a little at the pain in his arm. Nixie squeezes his shoulder in comfort, and then says, "Look at the bright side Scott. Soon as this is over, we can go to your house and watch Grey's Anatomy." He looks up at her and grins and asks, "Still on that, are we?" "Obviously." "And what happened to the girl who loved Clint Eastwood?"

And he can't help chuckling when she says, "Clint Eastwood will forever be a great man. But, even I can overdo him, as I have done this summer. Jackson probably shouldn't have given me all of those movies." Scott shrugs and says, "He was trying to make amends for years of pissing you off." "And I have to say this, my dear Scott, he has nearly succeeded. I still think he's a bit of an ass… but maybe not a total ass anymore. Progress. It is a beautiful thing."

* * *

It takes a couple of hours to get the tattoo done, simply because there was a lot to be filled in on the bands. But once finished, they all head out to the jeep, Stiles with an ice pack that Howard kindly provided for his headache, and prepare to head home.

Scott winces again, to which Stiles looks at him and asks, "You okay?" Scott grits his teeth, but then says, "Kind of burns." Nixie leans forward a little, but then laughs when Stiles says, "Yes, you just had your skin stabbed about a hundred-thousand times with a needle." Nixie nods and says, "Bound to have a length of time in which pain is to be expected. Even for a werewolf, Scott."

He nods, but then adds, "Yeah… but I don't think it's supposed to feel like this." Turning to him again, Nixie asks, "Like what?" He shrugs, not really knowing how to explain. And then he jerks at the pain in his arm, visibly, and says, "Oh God! No, it's definitely not supposed to feel like this. I have to get the bandage off."

Stiles immediately turns away and says, "No, Scott no!" Nixie rolls her eyes at Stiles, but then pulls a blade from her jacket pocket and quickly helps Scott cut the bandage off.

And before their very eyes… his tattoo heals. Nixie watches as the two black bands sink into his skin, healing over as though they hadn't just spent two hours getting them done. Scott stares at them in shock and says, "It healed."

To which Stiles says, "Thank God. I hated it."

He jerks a little when Nixie slaps him in the back of the head, to which he sighs and says, "Sorry. But… well, I did!" Nixie can't help chuckling at him, and then she pats Scott's shoulder and says, "Don't worry Scott. We'll figure something out."

He smiles at her in appreciation, and as they head off down the road, Scott asks, "Any theories to start with?" Nixie leans back in her seat now and says, "As always, I have several. But give me a little while to narrow down the pool… then I'll start listing them off to you. In order from the most likely to the least likely to be successful."

Stiles grins at her in the rearview mirror, and then as they are approaching a stop light, he asks, "So… what's the deal with Alison? Anyone heard from her?" Scott sighs and says, "No. We agreed to give each other the summer. No texts, no calls." Stiles nods, and then glances back at Nixie and asks, "And you?" "Not quite as strict for me. I've called her a few times while she's been over there. But, I think she figured if she called me every week, that would leave me as being the one to constantly update Scott on her habits and whereabouts."

Scott turns to her and says, "I wouldn't have bothered you that much. Not after how we both hogged your attention so much to help us keeping dating last year." Nixie smiles and says, "I know that, my dear Scott. But, Alison felt the same as you about hogging my attention. So we've only talked a few times. But, last I heard, she and her dad are enjoying France. She's still being trained as a hunter… but more along the lines of one who actually has a moral compass rather than a demented brain and ego."

Scott chuckles at that, and then Stiles asks, "So… does anyone know if she'll be back in school?" Scott scoffs a little and says, "After everything that happened… I'm not sure she's coming back at all." Then he grins when Nixie says from the back, "Of course she'll come back! She has to! For at least a week. So I can see her, if for no other reason. Either that, or someone has to find time to fly me to France so I can see her. Either way… I'm not that picky."

They both look at Stiles though, when he says, "Uh, yeah, I don't think that'll be necessary Nix. I think she's coming back. Pretty definite. Like… one hundred percent." Scott looks back at Nixie, who simply shrugs and asks, "And how did you suddenly become so confident in that, oh brilliant one?" Stiles gives her a look, though his grin takes any sting out of it. Then he simply points through the window next to Scott.

And wouldn't you know it… there's Lydia's car. And Alison was in the passenger seat with her.

So that was the surprise Lydia had mentioned. Well, Nixie had to give her props. Lydia had done an excellent job of not revealing anything about what the surprise might be. Nixie was almost worried that, in spite of what Lydia knew, that she might actually be getting her another dress or something. But no… Lydia was picking up Alison. Awesome!

Of course, Scott's reaction is a bit different. Having spent the entire summer away from each other, no calls or texts between them… he's not exactly sure how they're supposed to react around each other. And it doesn't help when, as Alison turns to finally see them as well, she doesn't react any better.

Scott immediately slumps down into the seat and says, "Oh God. Can we just drive please? Stiles?!" "Scott, it's a red light." Nixie looks over to see Alison and Lydia having a similar conversation in their car, and Nixie sighs before saying, "And with school starting again, so does the drama that I was so happy to be rid of for a while. No offense Scott. You and Alison, I love… but still…"

Stiles chuckles, but then says easily, "I think we should talk to them. I think we should say something. Or, you know, Nixie say something. I don't think they know you're here yet. Maybe that'll help smooth things over."

Nixie holds both hands out, palms up, and says, "Both of you are here. Why wouldn't they just assume that I'm here too?" Stiles chuckles again and says, "Maybe because, unlike everyone else, you spend time with them too. They're not as set on the idea that, wherever Scott and I go, you should be expected to be there at some point." "Well, maybe we should tell them that then. I mean, it's pretty obvious that at least eighty percent of my time is spent with you guys. Well, maybe seventy, but that's as low as I'll go."

Stiles chuckles again, and then reaches across the protesting Scott to roll down the window. "Hey!" And that's when Lydia speeds off down the road, in spite of the red light. Nixie trails them with her eyes before saying, "Well… that was interesting." Stiles purses his lips, but then says sarcastically, "You know, they probably didn't see us."

He grins when Nixie busts out laughing from behind him. Sighing, she says, "Yeah, they definitely missed us. That's why they ran the red light." "Obviously."

As the light turns green, Stiles starts moving as well, to which Scott asks, "What are you doing?" And Stiles just grins and waits while Nixie leans forward and says, "Well, you see Scott, it's this new thing. It's called driving. Requires machines with two or four wheels, and also a buttload of gas." Stiles nods and says, "And a driver. That would be me." "Exactly."

Scott gives them both a look, and then points at Lydia's car and says, "We're right behind them." Stiles looks around and says, "Okay, well, do you see any turns?" "Stiles, I don't want it to look like we're following them." "Well, what do you want me to do?"

Scott shrugs and says desperately, "I don't know, anything!"

To which Stiles slams his foot on the brakes, bracing a hand back to reach Nixie and keep her from slinging forward into the front seat. Once they're stopped, he grins when Nixie says, "A-plus, by the way, on protective instincts. No wonder I always feel safe in this thing." He gives her an appreciative glance, but then all three look forward to see Lydia's car stopping as well.

Stiles and Scott look at each other in confusion, but then laugh when Nixie says, "Well, that's not ominous at all. Totally not creepy. We're lucky the road's abandoned, or horns would be honking all over the place."

And that's when a deer, through the fog out front, sprints at full speed and crashes into the front of the car windshield. Stiles jerks and launches out of his seat, about to yank it forward so Nixie could climb out as well.

She's already lifted herself into the front seat though, and is out literally a step behind him as they all sprint to Lydia's car. And if Stiles were to guess, if he hadn't moved fast enough himself, Nixie probably would've climbed over top of him as well, on her way out of the jeep. As the girls get out of Lydia's car, Nixie, Scott and Stiles all running towards them to see what just happened, Scott yells, "Are you okay?"

And Nixie can't help but love the fact that, even as strained as Scott and Alison's relationship might be right now, nobody was letting that get in the way of checking to make sure everyone was still okay. It didn't matter that they hadn't seen each other all summer. Now that Alison was back, she was back on Scott's radar, as a person he needed to make sure he kept safe.

While Scott checks on Alison, Stiles has a hold of Lydia and asks, "Are you hurt?" "It ran right into us."

Then Lydia looks over at Nixie, who is scanning the area for any other possible threats. Well, until Lydia launched herself into Nixie's arms. Then Nixie focused on her, asking, "Are you hurt?" "I… I…"

Scott asks Alison the same question, and she says, "I'm okay." There's a brief pause after that, and then Lydia lets go of Nixie and turns to look at everyone and says, "Well, I'm not okay! I am totally freaking out! How the hell does it just run into us?!" She asks the question more to Stiles than anyone else, as though he's the one who should somehow know the answer.

He doesn't obviously, and shows as much by throwing his hands into the air, one remaining in the air while the other drops to run throw his hair worriedly. Lydia then looks over to Scott, who is now looking down at the deer in question. Coming closer, she says, "I saw its eyes right before it hit us. It was like… It was like it was crazy."

But Nixie watches as Scott takes a deep breath of the air around them, and when his eyes open in understanding, Nixie asks, "Scott?" He looks up at her, and then shakes his head and says, "No… it was scared." And as he reaches out to put a hand on the creature, Scott amends, "Actually… it was terrified."

And then he looks up the road in wonder, trying to figure out what the hell could've scared the deer so badly that it committed suicide by Lydia's car. Nixie, however, shakes her head and says, "No. No, school starts tomorrow. We are not getting into this tonight. Scott, to the jeep. Stiles, to the jeep. Get it up here. We're giving these two a ride home."

As Stiles and Scott move to do what she said, Lydia moves to her side and asks, "How does Scott know it was scared?" Nixie shrugs and says, "Something about the smell. He can smell certain emotions… chemo-signals and things like that. I thought we told you that?" "I knew he could smell diseases. I didn't…" "Right. Sorry. There's still a lot to learn. We can't remember all of it." "It's alright, I understand."

Then Lydia turns to Alison, and says, "Well… surprise." Nixie grins and then says, "And it's a great surprise. I approve." Alison smiles wide and moves to wrap Nixie in a huge hug. Sighing, she says, "It's good to see you again." "Likewise. We were just pondering moments ago, if I was going to have to book a flight to France so I could see your lovely face."

Laughing, Alison says, "Well, no worries. I'm back for good. At least, I hope so." "Good. We've missed you." Alison glances over at Scott and Stiles, and then sighs and says, "How has he been?" "Oh, you know Scott. Loyal as ever, and still confident that you and he will end up together. But… he's not as pining as he used to be. I consider that a good thing though. Distance should make the heart grow fonder… not more desperate."

Alison laughs again, and then tugs on the sleeve of Nixie's jacket and says, "I see it still fits pretty well." "Oh yeah. This beauty is all kinds of perfect. And I think I've found all the secret compartments it has, and have filled them with all the weapons I've been learning to use. Deaton has even been good enough to provide me with a few non-lethal looking weapons, just in case I need to take one out in school or something and then explain it later."

Lydia grins, and asks, "How are the classes going by the way? Are you done with those for now?" "Yeah, for the school year anyway. Mr. Mendez says I exceeded his expectations though, and that as long as I kept practicing on my own time, I might not have a need to come back to him next summer. I'm still going to… but it's nice to know I don't have to."

Alison grins and nods in agreement. Chris had been keeping tabs on Nixie's progress throughout the summer. And Mr. Mendez' reports on Nixie's progress would always give Chris pause. The adults always seemed to need to pause for a moment, to take in and understand just how dedicated Nixie was to learning and perfecting how to protect the people she cared for.

As for Alison and Lydia, and Scott and Stiles too… they weren't surprised. Learning how to fight with blades and learning how to shoot… it was something they knew Nixie would see as a way of helping keep them safe from the dangers that were bound to come. So of course, she would jump at the chance to learn how.

As the boys pull up in the jeep, Lydia pauses for a moment on Stiles side. He leans the seat forward for them and holds his hand out for Nixie to take as she climbs inside. When he offers the same hand to Lydia though, she steps up to him and asks, "You grew out your hair?"

He blinks at that for a moment, and then runs a hand through his hair. It was still plenty short… but compared to the buzz cut he'd had before… yeah, it was definitely longer. "Uh… yeah… just… I wanted it a bit longer. And… I just…"

He freezes altogether when Lydia reaches up and runs a hand through his hair gently, her fingers catching at some of the longer strands. Smiling gently, she says, "It's nice." Then she climbs in, taking the hand still offered to her.

Nixie bites her lip to keep from laughing as Stiles practically hops into his driver's seat, giddier than she'd seen him all week. And all it took was for Lydia to notice his hair. Who knew?

* * *

As Scott pulls into the school parking lot the next day, he glances over at the two shiny and new looking motorcycles that are also in the parked there. Crossing his arms, wondering who in the hell in his grade had replaced Jackson as being the rich kid, he then turns to his right when he hears another motorcycle pulling in.

Nixie pulls up right beside him, and as she takes her helmet off, she asks, "Your bike running good?" "Like a charm. Thanks for the help putting the new parts on." "Hey, that's what I'm here for." Scott chuckles and says, "Along with a never-ending list of other reasons to keep you around."

She smiles as he wraps an arm around her shoulders, and then he motions to the other bikes and says, "Looks like we have competition though." "For what? On who can look like a shinier and richer asshole? Let them hold that title. We worked hard for what we ride. Anyone with common sense can see that. Anyone who can't… we don't want to deal with them anyway. So there."

Scott chuckles again, and then squeezes her tighter as they begin walking to school. Then he asks, "Oh, by the way, how are those theories coming for keeping my tattoo?" "Well, and I'm still working on finding a few more, but at this point… I think I know what our best option is going to be."

Raising an eyebrow, Scott says, "You seem hesitant." "Only because I know Stiles isn't going to be all that thrilled about it."

And sure enough, he isn't. As soon as the idea is out of Nixie's mouth, Stiles asks, "You want to ask Derek for help?! Why? Why?!" But Nixie had already prepared Scott with a reason for this, and he immediately defends her idea by saying, "He's got the triskele tattooed on his back. So, there has to be a way to do it without healing, right?"

Stiles sighs and says, "Okay, yeah. But still… doesn't he have his hands a little full at the moment?" He gestures to the two signs that are posted on the billboard in the hall. They'd been posted around town as well… of Erica and Boyd.

And Stiles puts an arm around Nixie's shoulders in comfort when the small smile immediately disappears from her face. Neither Erica or Boyd had called her after she'd set them free from the Argent's basement last year, and it had bugged her to no end. And all that Derek could tell her, when he had time to tell her anything, was that he hadn't found them dead yet. Which… Nixie supposes is something… but isn't exactly comforting either.

They all pause for a moment when they heard a voice coming from the principal's office. And as they round the corner, they hear him say, "And whatever happened to the library while I was gone, I want it cleared up." Peering into the room, Nixie then hides her face against Stiles' shoulder to keep from laughing, as the man in the room asks, "And what… the hell… is this?!"

The giant sword in his hands wasn't exactly a happy memory for them… but the principal's face was priceless as he'd stared at it. Stiles simply wrapped an arm around her waist and said to Scott, "Go, go, go!" They left the vicinity quickly, and then Stiles sighs and says, "You know, you have a rather twisted sense of humor Nix."

And both boys chuckle when Nixie says, "Oh whatever. Did you see his face?! He was like, 'What the hell is a sword doing in my office?' It was priceless. Literally priceless. I wish I'd had a camera."

* * *

As they're settling into class, Stiles leans forward towards Nixie, who is sitting in front of him. "Hey, by the way. You said we'd need to do more work on my paper that I wrote over the summer. What exactly is wrong with it?" "Several things that we will not go into detail about right now. But rest assured, I am a word-usage expert, and we will save your paper from the C-grade category." "Nice."

Lydia, taking a seat on the other side of Stiles, smiles when she sees Nixie lower her hand behind her and Stiles reach under his desk to give her a high-five. Settling down, she asks, "Can I get in on that?" Both turn to her, and then Nixie asks, "You need help with a paper? I don't remember the last time you actually needed help." "That's because you have taught me well. But I'd still like for you to see it." "Works for me. We'll pick a day and all hang out at Stiles' house. It'll be great. Someone should order pizza."

Stiles smirks and says, "On it." Then they both look over at Alison, who asks Scott, "Is this seat taken?" Referring to the seat in front of Scott, which was conveniently the only seat left available to her. And though Stiles gives Nixie's shoulders a squeeze, she says, "I swear, I had nothing to do with that."

Scott simply says, "No, no… no one's sitting there. It's all you. It's totally vacant." Alison can't help but grin at him a little. Scott was a dork. An adorable dork, and he always would be in some ways. But as she sat down in front of him, resting her head in one hand, Nixie can tell she wasn't planning on having to deal with all of this on her first day back.

Alison jumps when a stick of gum lands on her desk, and then she grins and looks over at Nixie. Blowing a bubble and then grinning back, Nixie says, "Welcome back, by the way. Pretty sure I never got around to mentioning that." "No, but the hug said it pretty clearly." "Still, I am ashamed of myself. How can I ever make it up to you?" "You can hug me again after class." "Done."

And then, of course, that's when everyone's phones go off. Well… except for Nixie's. Stiles leans forward to share the text with her, since everyone else apparently got it except her. They both frown for a moment, wondering what it's supposed to mean.

Then the new English teacher walks into the room, high heels clicking on the floor as she reads the text aloud from her own phone. So… apparently she sent out the mass text to her whole first period class. Yeah… because that's not creepy at all.

She smiles sweetly at everyone though and says, "This is the last line to the first book we are going to read. And… it is also the last text you will receive in this class. Phones off, everyone."

Nixie immediately frowns at the idea of cutting her phone off, and then as Stiles leans back from her, the teacher's eyes are drawn towards their desks. Frowning herself, more in concern than anger though, she steps a little closer and asks, "Did I miss someone? I was sure I got all the numbers from the office this morning. I…"

Nixie shrugs and says, "The office doesn't have my cell information." "Oh! Well, I do still apologize. I didn't mean to leave you out. If you'd like, in the future, I'll include you with everyone else. Just…" Nixie shakes her head before the woman can even hold out her phone, and then says, "Sorry. No offense intended to you. I'm just very choosy about who gets my phone number." "Oh! None taken at all. Alright then. Well… is your phone off?"

Nixie makes a show of cutting it off, but as soon as Ms. Blake turns around, Nixie cuts it back on and switches it to silent. Stiles watches as the teacher moves away, and then as Nixie keeps her phone on top of her leg beneath the desk so she can see if anyone does call her while she can't hear it go off. Squeezing her shoulder, he whispers, "I'll warn you if she looks this way." "Thanks Stiles."

It annoyed Nixie to no end, having her phone on complete silent. Vibrate was something she could deal with. She'd still feel it go off. But with it on complete silent, she found herself checking it every two minutes, trying to make sure no one had contacted her recently.

It was good that she didn't have it off though. About halfway through class, Melissa texted her phone, asking, _"Where the hell is Scott? He's not answering his phone."_ Nixie glances back at Stiles, who lifts his head from his work to see what she wants. Nodding silently, he moves his gaze to the teacher to watch her, while Nixie types out a text to Melissa. _"New teacher made us cut our phones off. I'm breaking the rules. Call the principal if you need him badly. Otherwise, it needs to wait another twenty minutes."_

Not even five minutes later, the principal walks in, and after a brief moment with the new teacher, who they now know is named Ms. Blake, the principal walks back out. Then Ms. Blake says, "Mr. McCall." Scott looks up from the note he'd been writing back to Alison, and then gathers his things and walks out the door. Nixie shoots him a text as well, telling him to let her know what the hell is going on that is so important, that Melissa pulled him out of class.

Ten minutes later, with his phone cut back on, he responds with, _"I'll keep you posted. Meantime, keep an eye on Lydia, Stiles, and Alison. Something feels off."_ Sighing, Nixie types back, _"Of course it does. Don't worry. I've got these three."_

Scott shoots back a smiley face, and Nixie sets her phone back down and relaxes for a moment.

It's short-lived though, as Stiles then whispers, "Hey, Lydia." Lydia turns to look at both of them, and then as Stiles points down to the bandage on her ankle, he asks, "What is that? Is that from the accident?" At Nixie's concerned look, Lydia quickly say, "No, it's not from the accident." Then, when that doesn't appear to satisfy either of them, she concedes, "Prada bit me."

Frowning in confusion, Stiles asks, "Your dog?" Giving him a look, Lydia says, "No, my designer handbag." Nixie turns forward in her seat, fighting to keep the grin from her face while Stiles just gives Lydia a look in return that clearly says he doesn't appreciate her sarcasm. Then she says, "Yes Stiles, my dog." "Well, has it ever bitten you before?"

Lydia shakes her head, no, and then doesn't miss how Nixie instantly turns back around to them when Stiles suggests, "Okay. What if it's, like, the same thing as the deer? You know, like… like…" Lydia looks up when Nixie finishes for him, "Like how animals start acting weird right before an earthquake or something?"

And Lydia, not exactly in the mood yet to possibly go through any of the same stuff that happened last year, asks sarcastically, "Meaning what? There's gonna be an earthquake?" Stiles gives her an urgent look though and says, "Or something. I just… maybe it means something's coming. Something bad."

Lydia shakes her head and says, "It was a deer and a dog. And… what's that thing you guys always say about threes? Once, twice…"

And then the whole class jumps when a crow flies straight into the window, guts and blood smashing and staining the glass. And as Ms. Blake stands up to go and see what it was, everyone can see the flock of crows that are now heading for the building.

Lydia jumps when she feels a hand grab her arm, but upon seeing Nixie out of her desk, she doesn't argue when Nixie pulls her up and then over to her side of the row. Putting Lydia behind her, Nixie asks, "And what about when, instead of going one, two, and three; we jump straight to one hundred?" Stiles shakes his head and says, "No way that's a coincidence."

And as the birds start thudding into the glass and the first one breaks through, Ms. Blake shouts, "Everybody get down!" Nixie drags Lydia and Stiles to the ground, and doesn't bother telling Stiles to stay with Lydia. He's already using himself as a human shield to protect her. So Nixie jumps over top of the row of desks she was in and drops down next to Alison. Wincing as a claw nicks the back of her ear, Nixie then grabs a pen from the top of someone's desk and throws it at one of the birds hovering over another student's head. Piercing that one in the throat, it goes down a second later.

When all is said and done, most of the birds killed themselves running into desks or shelves or walls or something similar. Standing up, bringing Alison up with her, Nixie asks, "Are you hurt?" Alison shakes her head, still staring around the room in shock. Then she looks at Nixie, and then reaches forward and says, "Oh, but you are. Nix…"

Nixie touches the back of her ear, feeling the blood there. But upon looking at her finger, she sighs and says, "It's not that bad. Just a little cut. Probably just needs to be rinsed out and it'll be fine."

Then she turns to where Stiles and Lydia were. Lydia looks around them in shock, and then turns to Stiles and wraps her arms around him in a hug. Stiles holds her in return, but can't really find it in him to enjoy the feeling right now. And as he meets Nixie's gaze, he knows their both thinking the same thing.

What in the hell is going on here?

* * *

"Ms. Blake? You okay?" Nixie glances up as Stiles asks the new teacher if she's alright. But as Stiles makes to step closer to the woman, Nixie touches his elbow and says, "I don't like her." "Why? Because she wanted your phone off?" "No… I just don't."

He nods after a moment, and then says, "Chalking it up to Nixie's sixth sense. Noted." Then he moves over to Ms. Blake anyway, removing a crow feather from her hair that had been left sitting there.

Back to her phone, which Nixie has taken the liberty of putting back to vibrate, she reads the text that Scott sent, saying that Isaac was in the hospital and he might need backup in a few minutes. Pocketing the phone, she turns to Chris, where he's standing with Alison.

Holding his daughter's hand gently, inspecting a small scratch, he says, "Next time you're feeling you wanna stay home, you're staying home." "I'm fine dad. But… the deer and now this?" Chris nods and says, "I know, I know." "It can't be a coincidence." And Alison smiles a little when Nixie comes up beside her and says, "My thoughts exactly."

Chris grins at her too, and then they all turn to Noah, who had arrived just moments ago, when he asks, "Mr. Argent, you wouldn't have any insight into this, would you?" Widening his eyes, Chris asks, "Me?" "Yeah. All this… bizarre animal behavior… it's… You must've seen something like this before, right?"

Chris looks at both girls before him, and though Alison ducks her head, Nixie simply shrugs in confusion. She hadn't said anything about Chris to Noah that should make the sheriff think Chris would know anything about crows barging into classroom windows.

Back the Noah, Chris says, "I'm not sure why I would, or why you would think I would." Noah seems frazzled for a moment, but then says, "Sorry, I… uh… I could've sworn I heard my son talking about how you were an experienced hunter."

Chris darts his eyes over to Stiles, who then ducks his head to avoid eye contact. And Stiles doesn't have to look up to know Nixie is looking at him too. Then, to save Chris having to explain, Nixie jumps in and says, "Exclusively for bear, Noah. Chris doesn't know anything about birds though. Unfortunately. It would most certainly come in handy right about now."

Noah nods in understanding and says, "Sorry." Chris just shakes his head and says, "No apologies needed. Happy to know every avenue is being explored to try and explain this." Noah smiles at him, and then looks over at Nixie and asks, "You alright?" "Yeah." "You're bleeding." She touches the back of her ear again and says, "No, I was bleeding. It's stopped now. I just need to clean it up. Don't worry. I'm fine."

He gives her shoulder a squeeze and says, "Drop by for dinner tonight. I wanna see to that myself." "Sure thing. Never pass up dinner with the Stilinski's." Noah grins at her, and then steps away to ask some other people a few more questions.

Chris then grabs Nixie's attention and asks, "In the meantime, why don't you come home with Alison and me? I can patch you up there. None of you need to stay here any longer today." Nixie smiles, and then sighs and says, "I can't. Not yet anyway."

To Alison, she says, "Scott says he was pulled out of class by his mom because Isaac was in the hospital and Derek wasn't answering. He said he might need help. That's where I'll be. I'll keep you posted." Alison nods, but then sighs when Chris says, "We had a deal."

Nixie frowns slightly and looks between the two of them. Crossing her arms, Nixie asks, "What? What deal?" Alison looks to her, and then says, "We come back here… but we leave the hunting and the supernatural behind us."

Nixie's frown deepens, and Alison knows why. Nixie had explained as much last year, while Gerard had been in town and the battle lines had been drawn. When you knew something… when you had the ability to do something to help others… you did it. It was an obligation, a duty, and a choice that you, as a decent individual, were supposed to make.

And Alison and her father were clearly doing the opposite. And Alison can tell that Nixie would probably say as much… except that Alison gripped her wrist gently. Nixie switched to looking at her, meeting Alison's pleading look with her own disappointed one.

Alison felt the disappointment lift, and in its place was an understanding gaze. Alison may have promised to leave it behind so she could come back… and maybe she would try, at times, to stay out of more dangerous situations. But Alison also hadn't forgotten what Nixie had said last year. And Alison, if they needed her, would be more than ready and willing, to help them in whatever way they needed.

Nixie then turned to Chris again, and said to appease him, "Don't have a fit. I'll just keep her updated on my whereabouts. If worst comes to worst, I'll only be able to come by later tonight, before we all turn in for bed. But I'll stop by eventually. Scout's honor."

Alison laughs and asks, "Were you ever even a Scout?" "No, but I feel my word is at least twice as good as theirs. I mean… I'm on call twenty-four-seven. That's gotta count for something, right?"

After she leaves them, and gives Lydia a firm hug before heading out, Nixie is sitting on her bike when Stiles scrambles down the steps of the school and catches up to her. Putting his phone on speaker, he takes in a gasping breath and says, "I've got Scott on the phone."

Nodding, Nixie asks, "How's Isaac?" "Worse for wear right now. Listen, Stiles tells me something happened at school. Can it wait?" "I'm gonna say no to that. Stuff is getting weird. Again." Scott sighs, and then says, "Then… can you guys meet me at Derek's?"

Stiles stands up straight and asks, "Derek's? Why are you at Derek's?" "Look, just meet us here."

Stiles nods and prepares to hang up, but Nixie holds the phone still and says, "Tell Derek he is in very big trouble for not answering anyone's phone calls. I am pissed."

Silence for a moment, and then Derek's voice says over the line, "Sorry Nix. I'll make it up to you. Promise."

Then the line goes dead, and Stiles chuckles before saying, "Well… I never thought I'd live to hear it. Derek actually doesn't sound all that cranky or grumpy." Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "Just get on the bike." "Uh… I think I'll drive my jeep." "My bike is faster." "Exactly!"

He ends up hopping on anyway, and after sliding on the spare helmet, he asks, "Can you at least keep it at only ten miles above the speed limit?" "Isaac is in trouble. I make no promises."

Sure enough, they blow past twenty above the limit in no time, but no one bothers to pull her over. All the speeding tickets Noah already got her out of… they really don't see the point anymore.

* * *

As Nixie marches into the house, she stops by the table that Isaac is laying on. Running a hand over his head, she asks, "What's wrong with him?" Derek comes up to her side and says, "He was wounded pretty deeply by an alpha. A very strong alpha at that. Outside, he's fine. Inside, it's still being worked on. But he should be fine now. Give him another hour, and he should wake up."

Nixie sighs when she hears that, and then spins to look at him and asks, "And where the hell have you been?" "Looking for Erica and Boyd." When she still punches him in the shoulder, he raises an eyebrow curiously at her. To which she just raises her hands in emphasis and asks, "And you can't pick up a phone to answer me, or call me to let me know how it's going? You have my number for a reason Derek. Going any more than a week without informing me that you are still alive is unacceptable, unless you, yourself, are actually in mortal danger."

Hands on her hips, she says, "Got it?" He stares at her hard a moment more, but then softens his gaze. Stepping closer, planting a kiss to her forehead, he says, "Got it. I'm sorry." "Good. And in that case, it's really good to see you again." She wraps him in a tight hug, to which he chuckles and says, "Good to see you too. Now, come on over here." "Where?"

He leads her to the chair and table that Scott is sitting at. His jacket removed and long-sleeve shirt gone, Scott grins up at her and says, "You were right. He knows how to help." But upon seeing the blowtorch on the table, Nixie frowns and asks, "But is it worth it? And… is it necessary?"

She looks to Derek at that, but he nods and says, "For us… tattoos have to be burned in. They have to be imbedded deeply into the scar tissue, beneath the flesh." Nixie nods, and then looks to Scott and asks again, "And is it worth it?"

He nods, sure of himself. So Nixie sighs and says, "Fine. But… can you even see it? I mean… the old one that healed?"

Derek makes his red eyes glow, and as he takes a seat in front of Scott, he nods and says, "Yeah, I see it. Two bands, right?" He points to the spots on Scott's arm where the bands had indeed been before, and Scott nods in answer. Leaning back, Derek asks Scott, "What's it mean?"

Maybe it's because Derek is an alpha… or maybe it's the air of older wisdom and experience that the man carries with him now… but apparently Scott feels like trying a little harder to try and explain to everyone what the tattoo means to him. And he's still not sure… but he tries.

Looking over at Nixie, he still says, "I don't know. It's just… something I traced with my fingers. Something I dreamt about." Nixie nods to that, and then Derek asks, "Why is this so important to you?" Stiles looks over at Nixie at that, and whispers, "You know?"

Nixie nods that she does… but puts a finger up to her lips and points at Scott, who then asks, "Do you know what the word 'tattoo' means?" Stiles grins and says to Derek, "To mark something." Derek glances at the spastic teen, but then they both look to Nixie when she says, "In Tahitian… yes, that's what it means. But that's not the definition Scott was thinking about when he made his decision."

Scott nods and smiles at her in appreciation. Then he says, "In Samoan, it means 'open wound'." Looking at all of them now, he explains, "I knew I wanted to get a tattoo when I turned eighteen. I always wanted one… bearing in mind that I could still stick to Nixie's rules." Nixie grins, and at Derek's curious look, she says, "I'll explain later."

Scott nods in agreement, and then says, "But… I decided to get it now, to make it kind of… a reward." Derek raises an eyebrow at him and asks, "For what?" And Scott sighs and says, "For not, calling or texting Alison all summer. Even when I really wanted to… even when it was so hard not to sometimes. Even when I had to give Nixie my phone for a day to make sure I didn't do it. I was… just trying to give her the space she wants."

Sighing again, he says, "And… even four months later… it still hurts. Still feels like a, uh…" Stiles puts a hand on Nixie's shoulder and squeezes gently before finishing for Scott, "Like an open wound." Scott nods in agreement, and then looks up at Nixie. Smiling gently, he says, "And even though I still can't really explain why this particular design is the one I want… Nixie still says it's fine by her standards."

Derek looks to Nixie with a raised eyebrow, but then grins when she shrugs and says, "I have a very high set of stands when it comes to tattoos. Strike that. I have a very high set of standards for a lot of things. People, being the most crucial among those things." Nodding, Derek then picks up the blowtorch and says, "The pain's gonna be worse than anything you've ever felt."

Stiles huffs and says, "Oh yeah, that's great." But Scott just says, "Do it."

As soon as the torch is lit, Stiles steps back and says, "Okay! That's a lot for me. So… I'm gonna take that as my cue. And I'm just gonna wait outside." Nixie rolls her eyes and moves around Scott to hold down on one of his shoulders. Then Derek snags Stiles by his arm and says, "Nope. You're gonna help Nixie hold him down. No offense, but this is gonna hurt… a lot. You're gonna need some help."

Nixie shrugs and says, "No offense taken." Stiles moves, disgruntled, over to Scott's other side and asks, "You aren't going to fuss at Derek about manhandling me?" Nixie looks at him and asks, "Did he hurt you?" "Well… no." "Then Derek and I have no problems." Derek grins, though Stiles gives her a look and says, "I liked it better when you were constantly angry at him." "Yeah, well, I'm a happier individual in any case. Surely that counts for something."

Stiles grins, and then presses down on Scott's other shoulder. Scott grins up at both of them, and then nods for Derek to go ahead and do it.

After Scott passes out and Derek finishes burning the tattoo in, Nixie hops up on the table to sit next to Isaac's unconscious body. Holding out her hands, Nixie then says, "So… tell me what happened at the hospital." "Nixie, you don't…" "Scott's gonna tell me later anyway. Just, fill me in. What happened?"

So Derek tells her about the rival pack being in town, and how they attacked Isaac to put him in the hospital, and also tried to kidnap him from the hospital. Nixie frowns deeply and says, "Where are they?" "I'm not sure. Why?" "I'm better at fighting now. I'm quite confident I could kick his ass. His entire pack too. Just point me in the right direction." Derek grins gently and says, "Another day perhaps."

Then they all turn to Scott when he gasps and sits up in his chair. Looking down at his arm, touching it gingerly and smiling, he looks back up at all of them and says, "It worked." Stiles nods and says, "Yeah, looks pretty damn permanent now." Scott chuckles and Nixie hops off the table. Running a hand over Isaac's head again, she looks up at Derek and says, "Call me when he wakes up. Tell him to call me too. Both of you need to learn to call me. For anything. Always. I'm serious!"

Derek nods, kissing her forehead again before giving her a gentle nudge towards the boys. "I will. I promise." She nods back at him, and then joins Scott and Stiles in the hallway.

Scott looks at his tattoo again before pulling on his long-sleeve shirt and saying, "I kind of needed something permanent right now. Everything that's happened to us… everything just changes so fast. Everything's so… ephemeral."

Nixie grins at him as Stiles asks, "Studying for the PSAT's next year?" Scott grins down at her and says, "Yep. Got a new word every day thanks to Nixie." Stiles asks, "You mean that app she told us about? You got that?" "You didn't?"

Stiles blanks for a moment, and then rubs a hand against the back of his neck and says, "I… meant too. I got distracted." Nixie just wrap an arm around him and says, "Don't worry. I'll help you download it later before I leave tonight." "Thanks."

As Scott opens the door and they prepare to head out, Nixie runs into his backside when he stops and stares. He turns and gently puts a hand on her shoulder in apology, but then looks back to the door and says, "You painted the door."

As Derek looks at them from the other room, Scott asks, "Why'd you paint the door?"

Derek gives them all a look. Not an annoyed or aggravated look. A pleading look. He looks to Nixie in particular, as though expecting her to understand, and then says, "Go home guys." But Scott doesn't move, and as he inspects the paint job further, he asks, "And why only one side?"

As Scott draws out his claws, Nixie takes a step back and watches as he begins scraping at the paint, removing it from the door to try and see what was concealed beneath. And even as Derek moves forward in protest, he doesn't move to try and prevent Scott from continuing his work.

Derek then turns to Nixie and says, "Please take them home." "Derek, what is going on?" "Please." "No."

When Scott has the symbol uncovered, they all stare at it for a moment, wondering what on earth it is. But then Scott turns to them and says, "The birds at school and the deer last night… it's just like the night I got trampled by the deer when I got bit by the alpha." Nixie nods in understanding, but then says, "Yeah, but that's all that happened. The deer, I mean. At least… that's all that happened in great succession. This… the birds, Lydia's dog, and the deer… I mean… it's a lot for just one alpha to instigate."

Scott nods in agreement, and then turns to Derek and asks sternly, "How many are there?" Derek sighs and finally says, "A pack of them. An alpha pack." Nixie looks at him and says, "You said there was a rival pack. You didn't say anything about it being all alphas." "I know. I…" "Derek! You're supposed to tell me everything! How are we supposed to know how to proceed if you don't give us all the facts?"

Stiles holds up his hands and says, "Hold on, hold on. An alpha pack? As in… all of them are alphas? How does that even work?" Derek moves to Stiles question first and says, "I hear there's some kind of leader. He's called Deucalion."

Then he turns to Nixie and says, "We know they have Boyd and Erica. Peter, Isaac, and I have been looking for them for the last four months." Nixie is frozen for a moment, so long that when she doesn't speak, Scott takes over and says, "Okay. Let's say you find them. How do you deal with an alpha pack?"

Derek looks at all three of them, and then says, "With all the help I can get?" Nixie snaps her eyes to him and says through her teeth, "Then why didn't you tell me?" Derek moves in front of her now, gently holding both of her shoulders. "Because I put all of you in danger enough already. Last year alone I put you and your boys in danger countless times, and half of those were my fault entirely."

Sighing, he says, "I just… wanted to try and avoid that… if I could. I just wanted to try and keep it away from you guys. I thought if I did, maybe that would make up for…" Nixie puts a hand on his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze. But her tone is gentle when she says, "You are sweet Derek. Still a slight ass at times, but sweet, which makes up for it."

He grins a little at that, but then nods his head in defeat when she says, "But you do not get to decide which battles are ours to fight. We get to make that decision. And we can't make that decision if you don't tell us everything we need to know. So from now on… tell us what we need to know."

Derek kisses her forehead again, and says, "I will." "Good."

Then they all jerk towards the room Isaac is in when he says, "Where is she? Where's the girl?" Nixie frowns and looks to Derek first… but he's just as confused as they are. Meeting her confused gaze with his own, and then finding the same confusion on Stiles and Scott's faces, he turns back to Isaac and asks, "What girl?"

Isaac leans wearily on his arm that's he's sitting up on. He was awake, and a lot better than before. But he still had a lot of good resting that he needed to catch up on. Nixie moves around Derek finally and into the room, hurrying over and wrapping Isaac in a hug. Sighing against him, she says, "Don't ever do that to me again." Isaac grins and says, "I'll do my best." "Good."

He holds her close for a while longer, breathing in the scent of security, safety, and protection that she always seemed to exude. Then he slumped wearily and says, "I'm sorry. I'm so tired. I…" "Don't you dare apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for. Not a thing. You hear me." Chuckling, he says, "Yes ma'am." "Good. Now… lay back down and get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow. Alright?" "Alright."

As soon as Isaac is back asleep, Nixie walks up to Derek and says, "Keep me posted." "Alright."

Then Stiles, Scott, and Nixie all finally leave. And as Stiles loads up on Scott's bike instead of Nixie's, she gives him a briefly offended look. But then she just laughs when he says, "Hey, I value my life. And I value my body, preferably without any road burns or broken limbs from a high-speed crash." "I'm not gonna crash!"

But when she still gets back to Stiles' house a full thirty minutes before he arrives, he points at her and says, "I'm gonna pay dad to let you have one speeding ticket, just so you can see how it feels." Nixie shrugs and says, "I don't think you could convince your dad to do that. He probably considers getting me out of speeding tickets as a sort of payment for continuing to edit all of your papers. So ha!"

And she can't help but laugh when Stiles wraps an arm around her shoulders and says, "Damn it. Thwarted again. But if that's to pay for my papers, what is my coffee for?" "That's because you love me." "Oh! Of course! How silly of me."

* * *

When she reaches Alison's apartment on the second to top floor of the complex they're now staying in, Nixie finds Alison tracing something onto a piece of paper. Lydia looks up at her and says, "She thinks the bruises on our arms are a pattern." "Bruises?"

Nixie moves over to look at their arms, and then asks, "When did that happen?" Lydia fills her in on the woman who showed up in school looking for Scott, and about how, when she gripped their arms, she ended up bruising them somehow. Nixie frowns and says, "Well… they do look like unusual patterns for a simple bruise. Still… who does she think she is? We'll have to find her again and introduce me to her. That's unacceptable."

Lydia grins, and then sighs and says, "Come on." "Where are we going?" "To the bathroom. You still haven't cleaned up your ear." "Oh. I honestly forgot all about that."

As they're cleaning her up, Lydia sighs and says, "Is it too much to hope that this is all just a coincidence?"

Nixie looks up at her, and then gently takes one of her hands in her own. Smiling gently, Nixie says, "You can hope all you want Lydia. And I will never discourage that. But… I don't think it is. I've seen too much in the last year alone to think that way." Lydia nods, and then sighs and says, "It's just… last year… I feel like all of us almost died. I almost died. And if you hadn't…" "Hey."

Lydia looks to her again, and then smiles when Nixie says, "I have you. And so long as I have the ability to do so, anything that is coming after you, will have to go through me first, before it can get to you." "I know. And that worries me too. You're not indestructible Nixie."

But Lydia can't help but laugh when Nixie says, "No, I'm not. But I am incredibly stubborn, and hard headed enough to survive anything short of the apocalypse. So… barring the chance that God decides to make the rapture happen tonight, I intend to be here for a really long time, making it really hard for evil people to get to you." "And I suppose hell will freeze over before you allow that to happen, if you can help it." "Damn straight."

* * *

And that's Chapter 1! Yay! As always, I ask for you opinions on what you think of these stories. I love hearing if you guys like what I've put here. Thanks for reading, and Chapter 2 will follow shortly. And for anyone who cares to know in advance, Season 3a will consist of 12 chapters. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 2: Episode 3x2

From the backseat of the car, Nixie leans forward as Lydia says, "It doesn't look like much to me." As she and Alison hold their arms side by side, Nixie tilts her head at the marks Lydia has traced out, and then says, "Well… it could be something. Maybe. Hard to tell though. Would've been a lot more helpful if this mystery girl had given you a picture instead. I mean really… would it have been so hard?"

Alison grins at her, but then says assuredly, "It's a pattern. It means something." Lydia looks at her and asks, "You really think Scott's gonna know what it is?" Alison shakes her head and says, "No, but he might know someone who does." Leaning back and shrugging, Nixie says, "I know everyone Scott knows. And aside from maybe Deaton, who is our oracle of all things supernatural and mysterious, I can't think of anyone else who might know how to explain that."

Lydia looks back at her and smiles, because she had suggested the same thing. But Alison wanted to show Scott first. Back to Alison, Lydia asks, "How are you so sure that it means anything at all?" Alison glances at both of them, and then says, "Because that girl wasn't just looking for Scott. It was like she needed to find him. Like she had to. And that means something."

Lydia turns to Nixie again, who shrugs and says, "Don't look at me. I never saw this girl. I only know what you two told me. That being said… if she was as desperate sounding as Alison says… I wouldn't just chalk the bruises up to nothing. It's worth looking into."

Then she sighs and concedes in Lydia's defense, "Though how we're supposed to do that is a mystery to me as well. I mean… mystery girl should've provided a little more detail before bruising you two and then running off." Chuckling, Alison says, "You just aren't going to let this bruise thing go, are you?" "Nope. Unacceptable, no matter what the circumstances were. When I find her, first thing I'm gonna do, is give her a nice slap in the back of the head. Given that we even find her ever again."

Lydia points back to Nixie and says, "Exactly." Nixie smiles up at her, and then looks to Alison, who asks, "So, are we getting close?" "Yeah. Take the next right."

When they finally get to this girl's house, Heather if Nixie remembers the name right, Scott comes out the door all of five seconds after they pull up at the curb. Nixie grins a little as she gets out with the others, and then asks, "You weren't having fun?" Scott grins at her and says, "Not really. You weren't there to make it fun." "Ah! How sweet!"

He chuckles at her, and then looks between all three of the girls before him. Then to Alison, he asks, "This isn't the talk we were going to have, is it?" Alison shakes her head a little sadly, but then takes a breath to collect herself and says, "I need to show you something."

Scott frowns at the weird shaped bruise on her arm, and then looks to Nixie and asks, "What happened?" Nixie sighs and says, "Unfortunately, this happened while I wasn't present. Some mystery girl grabbed them while looking for you, and when she let go, these bruises were left behind." Scott looks down at them again, and then asks, "The same mystery girl that Isaac was asking about?"

Nixie ponders that for a moment, and then says, "Huh. I hadn't actually thought of that. But… probably. I mean, what are the odds that there are actually two mystery girls in this town at the same time?" Lydia crosses her arms and says, "Don't ask. Once you ask, we're bound to find out it's true." Nixie grins over at her, and then looks back to Scott as he examines the bruises on both arms.

He looks up at them again, and then to Nixie, he says, "It could have something to do with Erica and Boyd. That's what Isaac was trying to figure out when the girl came and saved him." Nixie nods, and then says, "In which case, at this point, Derek is our best bet on who might know anything about it."

Alison tenses slightly at that, but Nixie puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Relax. I'll be there the whole time. And Derek is not nearly as much of an ass as he was last year. Whole new leaf right now. Give him a chance." She nods to Nixie, and then asks, "Tomorrow? Can we show him tomorrow?"

Scott nods and says, "The sooner the better." As Alison and Lydia begin to leave, Nixie asks, "Where is Stiles?" Scott glances back at the house, and then says, "Probably making out with the birthday girl. You know, she came right up to him, soon as we arrived, and kissed him. And he was just as shocked by it as I was!"

Nixie frowns and says, "Girl probably just wants something from him. Should I come in and threaten to kick her ass?" Scott grins, and then says, "No. Anything she wants is probably something Stiles is more than willing to give her. And besides, aren't you going with them?" She glances back at Lydia and Alison, and then shrugs and says, "Not if you would rather me stay here. You don't seem to be having fun." "I haven't really tried yet. Go on with them and get some sleep tonight. Something tells me, with the way things are looking right now… it's going to be another long year."

And he chuckles when Nixie says, "Great. Just peachy. Because being a teenager in high school isn't stressful enough. We have to add actual life-threatening situations into the mix as well. Just freaking perfect."

* * *

As Isaac paces back and forth in Derek's loft, he says, "You know, I'm starting not to like this idea. Sounds kind of dangerous."

Turning in his walk, he recalls the text message he'd gotten back from Nixie. He'd sent her a message to let her know what Derek's plan was to try and retrieve the memories he'd apparently lost. And upon hearing that it was Peter that was going to do it, Nixie's message back, in all caps, was _"WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?!"_

Nodding to himself, Isaac reiterates, "You know what? I definitely don't like this idea, and I definitely don't like him." Derek glances over at him and says, "You'll be fine."

Isaac, trying to see if he can maybe find a slight compromise to the situation, asks, "Does it have to be him?" Derek sighs, having already gone over this once before, and then says, "He knows how to do it. I don't. It would be more dangerous if I tried doing it myself."

Which he had stated to Nixie, six times, when she'd called to ask him what the hell he thought he was doing.

Isaac sighs as he stands at the table, and then says, "You know Scott doesn't trust him, right? And Nixie definitely doesn't trust him. I have seven messages from her, telling me to not trust a damn hair on his head." Derek grins slightly at that, and then looks up at Isaac when he adds, "And personally Derek… well, I trust them. I trust Scott. And Nixie."

Tilting his head slightly in annoyance, Derek asks, "You trust me?" And because Derek was still technically his alpha, Isaac nods and says, "Yeah." Definitely not the most reassuring, 'yeah', but it was a yes, nonetheless. As Derek looks back down at his book, Isaac says again, "I still don't like him." "Nobody likes him."

As Peter opens the huge sliding door, he grins slightly before saying, "Boys. FYI, yes, coming back from the dead has left my abilities somewhat impaired, but the hearing still works. So… I hope you're comfortable saying whatever it is that you're feeling, straight to my face."

Derek glares at him slightly and says, "We don't like you." Slamming the book he was reading shut and dropping it on the table, he stands and adds, "Now shut up and helps us." Peter nods and says, "Fair enough. Slight problem though… I am not moving past this doorway… until someone calls off the young lady over here with the eyes that promise death… in the most painful way she can imagine, I might add."

Derek raises an eyebrow, but then turns to look at Isaac, whose posture has immediately relaxed slightly. And as he takes a deep breath, Derek can finally sense it too as her distinct and overprotective scent finally came into the room with them.

Smirking a little and walking to the door, he looks to the left and says, "Hello Nixie." Her eyes were glaring and did promise death. But as soon as Derek spoke, she switched her gaze to him and it softened considerably as she says, "Hey Derek." "What are you doing here?" "I'm here to make sure your jackass of an uncle doesn't kill Isaac."

Derek nods, and as he ushers her in, leaving Peter behind to enter at his leisure, he says, "I would appreciate you not glaring at him right this moment. I need him for this." "Why? Why does it have to be him?" "Because I don't know how to do it. I told you that." "Can't he show you though? Can't he teach you how to…" "Not enough time Nixie. I need answers now. If it were for anything else, I'd make the time. But it's for Erica and Boyd. We can't wait."

Nixie stares at him for a moment longer, and then sighs and says, "Fine. But if he hurts Isaac in any unnecessary way, I'm going to shove him back into the pitiful little hole at your house and let him rot his way back to death. Got me?" "Believe me, I won't be fighting you on that." "Good."

Peter finally enters, though he says to Derek, "What is it with all of you and just… listening to her? Is she the alpha?" Derek gives him a look and says, "No. I am. But Nixie's opinion is one I value highly… and when she's not threatening me… I don't really have an issue with anyone else she's threatening to kill. In fact, most of the time, I'd be willing to help her."

And he grins when Nixie says, "That's why you are designated as being the driver of the dump vehicle." Then she looks at Isaac and says, "And you're in charge of bringing the shower curtain that we need to wrap the body in." He smiles and says, "On it." "Excellent!"

Once they're sitting in chairs or on the couch, Isaac's foot tapping anxiously on the ground as Peter takes off his coat and gets ready, Peter says, "Relax. I'll get more out of you if you're calm." Isaac, instead of relaxing, grows more agitated as Peter comes closer. So instead, he asks, "How do you know how to do this again?"

Peter, now behind Isaac with his claws out, says, "It's an ancient ritual, used mostly by alphas, since it's a skill that requires quite a bit of practice. One slip and you could paralyze someone. Or kill them."

Isaac stutters for a moment, but feels Peter back off as soon as Nixie stands up from the couch. Glaring at the man behind Isaac, Nixie says, "Remember Peter… I can and will kill you if you so much as nick him in any way that is not necessary." Relaxing slightly, Isaac says, "And… you've had a lot of practice… right?"

"Well, I've never paralyzed anyone." Peter holds his hands up in a peace offering gesture when Nixie stakes two long strides towards him. Sighing, he says, "I'm just trying to ease the tension. Geez. He's… he's too anxious and stressed. At this rate, it won't matter if I do it perfectly… I still won't get anything out of him."

Nixie ponders that for a moment, and then glares and says, "If you kill him…" "Yes, I understand. You'll kill me. I've been told several times, by everyone that knows you, that I will most likely die very soon, if I take even one step out of line. Got it. Geez."

Nixie narrows her eyes at him again, but then moves and bends down so she's in front of Isaac. Taking his hands in hers, she says, "Relax for me. Please." He looks at her, and then sighs and says, "I… it's hard." "I know. But I need you to try. We need this… to help us find Boyd and Erica. Besides… you apparently fought really hard to get the information they tried to steal from you. I'd hate for you to have gone through all of that for nothing."

Isaac nods, and then glances over at Derek before focusing his gaze back on Nixie. "I… I have an idea. I think it'll work… it'll help. I think." Nixie nods and asks, "What is it? What do you need from us?" "I need Derek to not get mad at me."

Derek raises an eyebrow, but nods that he won't. Then to Nixie, Isaac says, "I need you to close your eyes… and not get mad at me either." Nixie tilts her head slightly in confusion, but then closes her eyes willingly and waits for what it is he wants.

His lips land gently on hers, and Nixie has a brief moment of surprise that makes her want to jump away. She stays still though, and lets Isaac have what he thinks will help him. His hand gently moves to hold her cheek, and he stays there for a moment.

She'd promised him a kiss last year, but he'd never received it. He figures this'll make up for that. But more than that… in the kiss he feels more absorbed in her scent. The feeling of security and safety… the feeling of home… it engulfs him in a new way. It's like it's the only thing he can feel right now… and he honestly wouldn't want to feel any other way."

Leaning back, he knows he's relaxed and at ease now. Softly, he says, "Go ahead." Peter, for his part, looks curiously between all three of them for a moment, and then gently slips his claws into the back of Isaac's neck. He had honestly been worried that he'd have to resort to surprising the werewolf, snapping his claws in unaware in order to get even a glimpse of what Isaac had seen. But… apparently a kiss from Nixie was all it took.

Who the hell was this girl? And why did everyone seem to look at her in the same way?

Regardless, Peter slips gently into Isaac's mind, but can still only find fragments and vague images of what he'd seen. Whoever had stolen the memory from him, or blocked it off at least, had done a bang-up job.

As Isaac begins to struggle a little, the feeling of his mind being invaded taking away from the relaxed feeling he'd had a moment ago, Peter holds him steady and says, "Wait, I see them." Nixie glances up at him, but then looks back to Isaac as he struggles again. Rubbing her hands up his arms, she says, "Hold on Isaac. Just a little longer."

When Peter finally pulls back, eyes blinking rapidly and his shoulders slumping in exhaustion, Nixie catches Isaac's head as it falls forward. Fingering the back of his neck gently, feeling the wounds there, she asks, "Isaac? You okay?" He nods after a moment, and then sighs and asks, "What happened? Did he find…"

Derek glances at the two of them briefly, confirming that they're both okay. Then he looks to Peter and cuts Isaac off to ask, "What did you see?" Nixie looks over at Peter as well, and for once doesn't threaten him as he takes his time to try and sort it all out. Shaking his head in his own confusion, trying to clear it, Peter says, "It was… confusing. Um… images. Vague shapes."

"But you saw something?" Peter turns to look at Nixie, who asked him the question. It was the first time she'd spoken to him yet, since he'd gotten back, where she didn't sound like she hated him. Nodding, Peter says, "Isaac found them." Derek asks, "Erica and Boyd?" Peter shakes his head again to clear it and says, "I barely saw them. I mean… glimpses. But yes… I saw them. And worse."

Nixie frowns at that, wondering what could be worse. But Derek says resignedly, "Deucalion." Peter nods and says, "He was talking to them. Something about time running out."

Isaac, lifting his head from Nixie's shoulder finally, asks, "What does that mean?" Derek, sitting down again, holds his folding hands to his chin and says, "He's gonna kill them." Nixie glares and says, "Not if I kill him first." Peter points at her briefly and says, "First of all, when she's not threatening me… I like this girl."

At the sharp glare she sends his way, he quickly moves onto his next point and says, "Second… he didn't say that. He didn't say he was going to kill them. He did make them a promise… that by the next full moon, that they'd both be dead."

Nixie's glare leaves and fear takes its place when she asks, "The next full moon?" Derek and Peter look at each other, and then Peter huffs and says, "Tomorrow night." Isaac looks around at each of them, and then finally settles on Nixie. She was still on the floor in front of him, still had her hands on him… and he could feel her shaking. It was a small tremor… one he probably wouldn't even notice as a werewolf if she weren't actually touching him.

It makes him wonder… just how many other times had she been this scared… and no one had really even been able to notice.

Standing up, bringing her with him, he asks, "Is there… is there anything else we can do? Something else we can try? I mean… there has to be something." Nixie nods, and then sighs and says, "Derek, I need to borrow you." Looking up at Isaac, she says, "And you… what was that about?" Knowing she's referring to the kiss, he shrugs and says, "You still owed me. And…"

Sighing as he tries to explain it, he finally just says, "You make me feel safe. Safer than anyone else in my whole life has ever made me feel. Even… even compared to my brother, before he died. And I just… I knew it would help."

Nixie nods after a moment, and then wraps him in a hug and says, "Rest for a bit. We might need your mind again. Hopefully not in the same way… but we might need it again." "Got it."

Then she turns to Derek, and says, "Come with me." "Where?" "School. There's something we need to show you and see if you can tell us anything."

* * *

"I don't see anything."

Nixie rolls her eyes and moves to Derek's side. His tone was one of annoyance and possible frustration. And she knows that it's because of Alison… because of what happened at the end of last year.

But they can't afford to let feelings like that get in the way right now. Putting a hand on his shoulder, she says, "Look… please just try. It can't be nothing. It…" He turns to her, and then looks back at the bruises on Alison and Lydia's arms. Then he sighs and says, "Look, I'm sorry. But I don't see anything. If it is a pattern, it's not one that I'm familiar with."

Then, back to Alison, he asks with contempt, "Besides, how is a bruise… gonna tell me where Boyd and Erica are?" Alison stares back at him unflinching, at which point Nixie hides her face behind Derek's arm and she whispers, "She still doesn't know that Victoria was trying to kill Scott that night. Ease up."

Which explains why Alison was staring at him with an air of superiority… like she had every right to look down on him and that all her actions last year, while a bit extreme, could still be explained and validated.

Not true… but it explained why she still felt that way. Derek turns his head slightly, letting Nixie know he heard her, and then he looks at Scott, who says, "It's the same on both sides. It has to mean something." "It's nothing. At most… it's nothing we can use because it's not concrete. No one knows what it is… so it doesn't help us at all. And besides… no one aside from this one," he points at Alison, "is even a hundred percent sure that it is a pattern at all."

Lydia sighs and says, "Pareidolia." When all eyes turn to her in confusion, she explains, "Seeing patterns that aren't there. It's a subset of apophenia. You guys didn't know that?"

Nixie grins and says, "Yeah… I think that one was definitely something no one else knew about. How do you know about it?" "I read it in a health book once." "Right. Of course you did. And never forgot about it after reading it that one time. Makes total sense."

Lydia rolls her eyes playfully at Nixie, and then looks over at Stiles, who is grinning at her with pride. She'd never noticed before… how much he truly enjoyed how her mind worked… how she just knew these things that no one else did, and how sometimes she didn't even understand why they didn't already know. Because to her… it was just something she knew, a fact she remembered. To everyone else though… she might as well have been speaking archaic Latin.

Lydia grins back at him, and then turns to face Scott and Derek again when Scott says, "They're trying to help." Derek gives him a look and says, "These two?"

Facing the girls, he points at Lydia and says, "This one. Who used me to resurrect my psychotic uncle. Thank you." Lydia looks down at that, but then back up when Derek sighs and amends, "Though I am aware it wasn't entirely your fault." Lydia smiles at Nixie, and when Derek turns to look at Nixie as well, he says gently, "I do remember that."

But then he turns back and points to Alison as he says, "And this one. Who shot about thirty arrows into me and my pack." Alison still looks at him with that air of superiority. But she doesn't miss how Nixie does not come to her aid like she had for Lydia. It confuses her a little bit… but she decides she'll have to look into that later.

Stiles, to the side, sighs and says, "Alright now, come on. No one died, alright? Look, there may have been a little maiming, okay… a little mangling… but no death. That's what I call a very important distinction. And besides, Nixie got captured too and was there to free Erica and Boyd before anything really bad could happen to them. So all's good now."

But Stiles knows he messed up a little when Derek, Scott, and Alison all snap their heads in Nixie's direction. Sighing as she steps back from Derek's side, Nixie asks, "Really Stiles?" "What? I didn't think it was a secret! Lydia and I know!" "That's because when I got back, you and Lydia were the ones I had to explain myself too. And then we had to go and save Jackson, and I never had to actually tell anyone else about it in detail. Geez. Let a thing die, alright."

It was Alison's soft voice that finally asks, "You were… you were with Erica and Boyd? In the basement? In… in my house?" Scott glances at her, and then back to Nixie and says, "Nix… why didn't you tell me that. I mean… I knew you were kidnapped and I figured it was Gerard. But you didn't tell me…" "I just… it wasn't important afterwards. After we finally got Jackson all saved, and everything was over… it wasn't a big deal anymore. Everyone just chill, alright."

To Alison, Nixie says gently, "Yes. Your grandpa had me kidnapped. He meant to kidnap Stiles. I made that impossible, so he took me instead. And he tossed me in a basement with Erica and Boyd. I eventually figured out how to get them out. And then your dad came and found me where I was, and then he helped me get out and back to Stiles' house."

Giving her a hard look, Nixie then says sternly, "And none of what happened to me is your fault. Understood?" Alison nods after a moment, and then she looks to Derek. With that air of superiority again, Alison says, "As for everything else I did… my mother died, in case you forgot."

Derek just glares back at her and says, "Your family's little honor code killed your mother. Not me." Alison shrugs it off and says, "That girl was looking for Scott. I'm here to help him, not you." Derek nods, but then says, "You wanna help? Find something real."

As he moves to walk away, he catches Nixie's arm and brings her with him. As Scott stays to try and talk to Alison for a moment, Derek pulls Nixie in front of him and asks, "What happened with Gerard that night?" "What do you mean?" "He kidnapped you. Why?" "He meant to leave a message for Scott… making him see how vulnerable we all really were. Obviously, he picked the wrong one to kidnap. And besides, he didn't really have time to do anything else with me anyway. He tossed me down some stairs, and that was about it"

Derek gives her a hard look, to which she concedes, "Look, they roughed me up a bit. I guarantee they looked a whole lot worse than I did though, when it was over. And yeah, I passed out for a little while… but other than that, I was fine. I got Erica and Boyd out… and that was it."

Derek can hear in her heartbeat that she's telling the truth for the most part. She was omitting things… he could tell… but she wasn't all out lying… so he left it at that. Then Scott joins them and he says to Derek, "Look, just give her a chance. Okay… they're… they're on our side now. Right Nix?" Nixie nods to confirm that, and Derek nods back to her, showing that he understands that. But then he looks back to Scott and says, "Well, then maybe you should tell her what her mother was actually trying to do that night."

He gives Nixie a look at that, wondering why she hadn't already told Alison the story. Nixie just looks to Scott in answer, and Derek sighs and rolls his eyes. Nixie might not entirely agree with keeping Alison in the dark on this… but Nixie wasn't about to be the one to do it. Scott was the one that Victoria nearly killed. Nixie was leaving it in Scott's hands, as to whether Alison should be told or not. And for now, the answer to that, was no.

Patting her shoulder and kissing the side of her head, Derek says, "Be safe. I'll see you guys later. Isaac still really wants to be helpful. If you can come up with any other way of trying to access his memories… he's up for trying." "I'll keep you posted." "Good."

* * *

"The stock market, is based on two principles? What are they?" Nixie prepares to raise her hand at Coach's question, obviously knowing the answer. But when Scott raises his hand from the seat in front of her, Nixie smiles and lets her hand rest on the top of her desk.

Coach glances at him, and then says, "Yes, McCall, you can go to the bathroom. Anybody else?" Scott lowers his hand slowly, unsure of what to do after that. It was disheartening, to think that Coach's immediate response was that Scott must want to be excused for a moment.

Coach then looks at Nixie, who raises her hand again, and he says, "Haven. What's the answer?"

Nixie just gives him a briefly hard look, and then cuts her eyes to Scott, who Coach now sees hasn't left the room yet. Scott really had wanted to answer the question. And the only reason Nixie wasn't biting Coach's head off… was because she understands that, compared to last year, this was a bit of an oddity.

But Scott really did know the answer, which makes Coach grin as he asks, "Oh… oh, you're serious? Oh… alright. McCall, what's the answer?"

Scott turns slightly in his chair to glance at Nixie, the ever knowing grin on his face, which means he knows she used her eyes to make Coach ask Scott the question again. Then Scott turns back to Finstock and says, "Risk and reward."

And even though Nixie had obviously told him that Scott knew the answer, Coach still moves forward with a smile and says, "Wow! Who are you? And what have you done to McCall? No… don't answer that. I like you better. I like you better!" Then Coach glances back at Nixie, and seeing that she isn't yet displeased with anything he's said so far, he then offers her sincerely, "Thanks. And nice job."

Nixie shrugs, but even Coach grins when Stiles, from the desk next to Scott, turns to look at her and throws her two-thumbs-up as a sign that he agrees she did an excellent job as Scott's tutor for the summer.

Coach then stands back up straight and asks, "Does anybody have a quarter?" Nixie, though willing to give money to her friends when and if they needed it, was not about to give up the quarter in her pocket to the Coach, who she knew would forget to give it back to her. That being said… she thinks maybe she should've for Stiles' sake, when he pulls out his quarter… and the double-x condom also flies out of his pocket and onto the floor.

Coach picks it up and offers it back to him with a, "Congratulations." Then he quickly gets back to the topic at hand… risk and reward. And the task is simple. If you bounce the quarter in the mug on the floor, you win the reward of not having to take the quiz. But if you miss it, you have to accept the risk you took, which is that you might have to also write an essay on top of taking the quiz tomorrow. Risk and reward.

As Scott ponders all of his skills and abilities, like Coach is telling him are all factors in his decision to play or not, Scott grins when Nixie says from behind him, "Go for it Scott. We'll write him an essay that'll knock his socks off. It'll be great." He glances back at her with a smile, but still simply hands the quarter back to Coach and says, "I've abused her skills enough over the summer. Think I'll pass."

Coach grins and says, "Wise decision. Alright. Who's next? Who wants the quarter?"

Now Stiles, on the other hand, beats his hands on the desk in a drumroll for himself, and as he hops up, Coach says, "There you go! There's a gambling man! But… uh…" Stiles looks to Coach, who is looking at Nixie in confusion. Because if Scott wasn't playing for Nixie's sake… shouldn't that mean Stiles wouldn't play either. Stiles simply takes the quarter and says, "I didn't abuse her this summer. My turn. Right Nix?" "Just remember to bring my coffee." "On it."

But as Stiles is about to take his chance, and probably miss if Nixie is giving her honest opinion… Noah walks in the classroom door with one of his fellow officers. "Stiles."

But Stiles doesn't realize it's his dad, and simply says, "Yeah, Coach, I got it." He pauses though and looks at her when Nixie's voice says, "Stiles." At the worried expression on her face, which is looking towards the door, Stiles turns his gaze that way, and then straightens up upon seeing his dad standing there. And if it had just been Noah, it might not have been so bad. But with the fellow officer in tow… they all knew this couldn't be good.

After the door shuts, Scott turns his head in Nixie's direction and says, "Keep an eye on Coach. Let me know if he's about to call on me again." "On it." And she focuses on the rest of the class around her while Scott listens to the conversation going on outside.

When Scott turns back to her, he says, "That girl, Heather, that Stiles went off with last night. She's missing. And apparently Stiles is the last one who saw her. At least, as far as any of her friends know." Sighing, Nixie slumps down and says, "Great. Listen, as soon as class is over, I'm gonna go find Alison and Lydia and give them an update. Maybe they know some people who know some people who can figure something out about what happened to her?"

Scott blinks for a moment, and then grins and says, "Know some people who know some people? Really?" "Yes. Because at this point, having some people like that… would be extremely helpful." "Well, I can't argue with you there." "Exactly!"

* * *

"I want one." As Nixie plops down in the seat next to Lydia, she glances over at the twins that Lydia is now looking up and down. Sighing, Nixie asks, "I thought you were done with… well… that kind of individual." "As I told Alison earlier in the month… I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now. I'm looking for a distraction."

Which Nixie understands is Lydia explaining that, while willing to maybe start coming out of her popular and fake shell this year… she was not exactly ready to give it up completely yet. Which also meant, that Lydia wasn't ready to be with Stiles.

A sad truth… one that Nixie thinks may backfire on Lydia sometime in the future… but a truth, nonetheless. So instead of arguing, Nixie just shrugs and looks to Alison, who asks, "Which one?" Lydia looks at Alison, and then says bluntly, "The straight one, obviously." Nixie blinks and asks, "How do you know that…"

But as she was about to ask, Danny came around the corner, and one of the twins immediately turned in his direction and grinned flirtatiously. Settling back down, Nixie says, "Ah. That's how." But as Lydia prepares to stand up and make her move… Nixie gently grabs her by the arm and says, "I'm not in charge of you. And you are free, as everyone always is, to ignore what I'm about to say, if you wish."

Lydia looks down at her, showing she's listening, and then Nixie looks at the twins again and says, "I don't like them." Frowning, Lydia asks, "Why?" Sighing, Nixie shrugs and says, "I have never actually been able to understand how to answer that question. Probably why no one except Scott and Stiles really takes it all that seriously, if they even take is seriously. But… I don't like them. Now you now. Now go. Sick em."

Lydia rolls her eyes, but then proceeds to do just that. Alison, who had been distracted for a moment, grabs the coffee cup Lydia had been drinking out of, and then asks, "What if… what if it's not a symbol? What if it's actually a logo?" Glancing up and only finding Nixie still sitting there, Alison asks, "Where…"

Nixie just points over at Lydia and the straight twin, already exchanging numbers as they speak. Sighing, Nixie leans forward and says, "But I heard you. So… you think it's a logo?" "Maybe. I'm gonna look into it. But first… you said you needed to tell us something? Should I get Lydia to come back?" "No, leave her be. Fill her in for me, if you don't mind. I just need to give you a heads up."

She briefly tells Alison what they know about Heather and that she's missing. Alison nods and says, "I'll talk to my dad… see if he can think of anything that might help." "Great. Thanks. And with that, I'll see you guys later." "Where are you going?"

Standing up, Nixie says, "Need to talk to Stiles and Scott now. Because if I know Stiles, and I do know him quite well… he's already coming up with about twenty different conspiracy theories about why Heather was taken… all of which probably involve this new alpha pack we're dealing with."

She gives Alison a hug goodbye, and then on her way out the door, she sighs and says, "Which means this is going to be another very long day."

* * *

As she intercepted Scott and Stiles in the hall, Scott was saying, "So… we need Isaac to remember?" Blinking, Nixie says, "Okay, not that I'm against that… but why in particular do we need Isaac to remember this time?" Scott explains Stiles theory that the alphas took Heather so they could turn her. And when Nixie is about to argue, as Scott already did, about why the pack of alphas would want a beta, Scott puts an arm in front of her to stop her from getting into Stiles walking path.

To her, Scott says, "He really doesn't care if it's the most logical solution right now. His mom was best friends with this girl's mom before she died. He just… he needs to find her. And at this point… I mean, I can't think of any other ideas. You?"

Nixie ponders that for a moment, and then says, "None that the cops haven't already thought of anyway. Besides, we should leave handling this in the normal way to them. Leave looking at supernatural problems to us." "Exactly."

Sighing and falling into step with them, Nixie then asks, "So… anyone got any bright ideas on how to make Isaac remember more than he already does?" Stiles sighs and says, "I don't know. And I know you're not fond of it… but do you think if Peter did that ritual again… would he see more?" Nixie ponders it seriously for a moment, letting Stiles know that she's not closing it off as an option. But then she sighs and says, "I don't think so. Isaac was as relaxed as he could possibly be, and Peter only got glimpses of what we needed to see. I don't think he's going to get much more out that way. We need to think of something else."

Stiles nods and asks, "What about Derek? Could he do it?" Nixie shakes her head and says, "He says he'd probably kill Isaac instead of see what he wants to see. That's why he had Peter do it in the first place." "Then… then what? I mean, who…"

Scott slows his stride as an idea occurs to him, and then he says, "Maybe we shouldn't be looking for another werewolf, or even at the ritual. Maybe… maybe we need to ask someone who knows a lot about werewolves." Nixie and Stiles both turn to him at that. And in spite of how worried he is, Stiles still grins a little when Nixie says, "Okay, seriously, I'm losing my touch. Of course we should ask Deaton. Why didn't I think of that?"

Stiles wrap an arm around her shoulders and says, "I think you just need to get back on track is all. Your brain has been focused mostly on training and on tutoring Scott all summer. Give it another week. I'm sure you'll be back to normal." "Still, this is taking entirely too long. I'm ashamed of myself. Unacceptable."

* * *

As Isaac is bent down next to the tub filled with ice-water, Scott asks, "How slow does it heart rate need to be?" Deaton, standing next to Nixie, says, "Very slow." Derek, at the head of the tub, asks, "Well, how slow is 'very slow'?" And Deaton replies, in an oddly calm manner, "Nearly dead."

Isaac hisses as he sets his hand on the water, almost feeling like it burns more than it freezes him. Then he turns when he hears Nixie say, "Deaton. You are one of two people that I consider to be a human adult in this small group of confidents we have. And I don't usually make a habit of slapping the heads of the adults."

She holds up her pointer finger and thumb, a centimeter of space showing between them, and then says, "You're this close." Deaton just smiles gently at her and says, "Just being honest." "Yeah, well, be honest with the proper tone of concern from now on. Geez."

Isaac stands up and asks, "This… this is safe though, right?" Deaton looks at him, and then at Nixie as he asks, "Should I answer that honestly?" Nixie gives him a look, though a slight grin does touch her face. And before he actually can answer, Isaac sighs and says, "No, no not really."

All eyes turn to Stiles then, as he makes a rather loud snapping noise as he pulls the long doctor's glove onto his right hand. Isaac stares at it for a moment, and then leans closer to Nixie and says, "Please tell me he's not actually planning on doing anything to me while wearing that." "He's not. He's just easily distracted. And if he tries to, I'll slap him in the head hard enough to knock him unconscious."

Isaac grins at that, and then looks back at the water worriedly. Derek looks up at him, and even though they do need to know what he knows, Derek says, "If it feels too risky, you don't have to do this."

He doesn't miss how, rather than looking at him to confirm that Derek is telling the truth, Isaac first looks to Scott to see his reaction. It's the same. Scott nods, confirming that if Isaac didn't want to do this, he didn't have to. They'd find another way.

Then Isaac turns to Nixie, and says, "You need this though, right?" Nixie looks up at him, and then says, "We need to know what you now. But if you don't want to do this, we will find another way. There are other ways. Right?" She looks at Deaton when she asks that, who nods and says, "I'll have to do some research, but I imagine there are probably other ways."

Isaac nods, but says, "But that'll take time. Time Erica, Boyd, and this girl Heather, might not have." Nixie turns back to him and says, "None of that is the concern right now." He watches as she holds a hand up to the side, pointing at Stiles to ensure he doesn't interrupt or comment right now. Stiles obviously wanted to find Heather, and would obviously think this merited the extreme measures they were going to, trying to figure that out.

Nixie's thoughts were always on them. And Isaac felt proud that he was a part of the group that Nixie would die for. He wasn't her boy. Stiles and Scott held those roles and it was doubtful anyone would ever join them there. But Isaac was… he was hers. He was hers the same way Lydia, Derek, and Alison were all hers.

And Nixie, in spite of wanting to find Erica and Boyd and Heather just as much as the others, was not about to lose him in order to find them. He suspects that if she thinks he's about to come even close to dying, Nixie herself would drag him out of the tub before they found out what they needed.

And with that in mind, he nods and removes his shirt to prepare to get in the water. Sighing, he puts a hand on Nixie's shoulder and says, "Stay close." "Yeah. Like they would actually dare try to keep me away at this point." Scott grins and nods that he certainly won't be holding her back. Then Isaac looks to Scott again, who nods and says, "We've got you."

And with that, he slides into the tub of freezing water, taking a few deep breaths before letting Derek and Scott shove him under.

Of course, the instinct to survive can overpower a lot of things. And as his teeth lengthen and eyes begin to glow, the wolf pushes closer to the surface and struggles against the human half. Rising back up and snarling, Isaac fights against the many hands that are working to hold him under. Nixie snaps a hand up to cover her mouth, fighting to hold back her concerns that maybe they should take him back out. He wasn't near dying yet. She'd promised herself and Stiles that she wouldn't stop this process unless it looked like Isaac was about to die.

Didn't mean it wasn't hard as hell… letting him just stay in there while he was obviously so panicked.

Deaton says to Derek and Scott, "Get him back under." They shove him back down, Stiles coming to help, but Isaac still fights them… still manages to stay at the surface. To Derek, Deaton says, "Hold him!" "We're trying!"

Isaac snarls, eyes darting from side to side at both Derek and Scott. It was Scott he focused on the most… but it still wasn't enough. He was still fighting.

That's when two hands moved to hold either side of his head. They were cold already, matching the temperature of the water almost, compared to the hot hands of everyone else that was holding him. Snapping his gaze upward, prepared to growl at this new set of hands, Isaac's entire frame freezes upon meeting Nixie's blue eyes with his golden ones.

Rubbing against his temples with her thumbs, Nixie says, "Isaac, calm down, alright? I know it's hard, and it sucks, and it's freezing. But I need you to relax and calm down. Try, alright? Try for me."

Scott lets her talk to him a moment more, and then looks up at Derek and says, "Don't shove. Just guide him back down."

Derek looks first at him, and then at Nixie, and then nods and as she begins slowly lowering Isaac's head back into the water, he and Scott follow her lead and help him back down as well.

When they finally have him under and he stays still, Derek looks up at Scott and asks, "What happened? I don't…" "Nixie has him."

At first that's all Scott says. But when Derek and Deaton look at him curiously, Scott shrugs and says, "Nixie has him. I don't… look, you've both seen her enough now to know. I don't see why it's so confusing. She has him. And she's not going to let anything bad happen to him while she can help it. And maybe you two don't get that as much as the rest of us… but Isaac knows that."

Back to Nixie, putting a hand on her shoulder, Scott says, "So long as she's got a hold of him, Isaac knows he's safe." Then to her, he says, "But if you get too cold, you let him go. He should be alright now." "I'm fine Scott. Just… let's hurry this up. Alright?"

He nods, and as Deaton joins them and explains that he's the only one who can talk to Isaac, Nixie takes a moment to ponder how she can be fine. The water was freezing. It should feel freezing. But… well, Nixie didn't feel all that frozen. It was cold, for sure. She could tell that much. And she'd probably need Scott to give her a hug and warm her up afterwards. But Nixie didn't feel like the temperature of the water was actually hurting her… or even a danger to her like it was to Isaac.

Ridiculous really. If this was dangerous to a werewolf, it was most certainly dangerous to her, a human. But… Nixie decides she'll worry about that another day. Right now, Isaac. Focus on Isaac.

Deaton watches her closely a moment more, and then looks to Isaac and asks, "Isaac? Can you hear me?"

It takes a moment, but Isaac finally says, "Yes. I can hear you."

As Deaton continues questioning him, Isaac begins to panic about what they want him to remember, where they want him to go in his mind. Looking up at Nixie, Deaton asks, "How are you holding him?" Glancing up at him, she says, "I just have my hands on him." "You were rubbing his temples earlier. Can you do that again?"

She does as he asks, and Isaac immediately calms and asks, "Nixie?" Deaton holds up a finger, warning her not to speak, and then says, "Yes Isaac. Nixie is here. She's got you. Understand?" Isaac nods after a moment and says, "Yes." "Good. Now, let's go back. To the night you found Erica and Boyd. Is there some kind of building? A house?"

Isaac's voice is clearer this time… calmer, when he says, "It's not a house. It's uh… it's stone. I think… I think marble." Deaton smiles and says, "That's perfect. Can you give me any other descriptors?" Isaac tilts his head to the side slightly and says, "It's dusty. Uh… empty." "Like an abandoned building?"

Nixie can feel the tension within him build and snaps her gaze up to Deaton in warning. Back to Isaac, Deaton asks, "Isaac? Isaac, is everything alright?" "Someone's here. Someone's here!" His hand reaches up out of the water and grabs onto Scott, holding on for security and safety. Nixie continues to rub his temples, but Isaac's body still seems to panic as he recalls where he was and who had found him.

Deaton, trying again, says, "Isaac, relax." "No, no, no… they see me, they see me! Ah!" As he screams, Scott reaches down for his shoulder with his free hand, using the one Isaac has in his grip and grabbing Isaac's forearm in return, trying to assure Isaac that he is there. Anything, at this point, to help ground him and help him remember that it's only memories.

Deaton tries again too and says, "They're just memories. You can't be hurt by memories. Just relax Isaac. Just relax."

As Isaac's body slowly settles down again, Nixie looks up at Scott. He looks back at her, and when she cuts her eyes to the arm that Isaac is using to hold onto Scott with… Scott nods in understanding. He keeps his grip on Isaac at that point, not letting go as the rest of Isaac's body relaxes.

Deaton nods and says, "Good. Now, tell us what you see. Tell us everything."

It takes him a while this time, and Nixie can see his eyes moving behind the closed lids, watching his own memories in fascination as he finally sees them again. Then Isaac opens his eyes, no longer glowing, and says, "I hear him. He's talking about the full moon. About being out of control when the moon rises." Deaton, in concern, asks, "Is he talking to Erica?"

Isaac ponders for a moment, and then says, "I think so. I can't… I can't see her. I can't see either of them." Deaton asks, "Can you hear anything else?" "They're worried. They're worried what they'll do during the moon. They're worried that they're gonna hurt each other."

Nixie lifts her gaze to Derek this time, and she asks softly, "They won't, will they?" He looks over at her, then to Scott, and then finally to Deaton, who all seem to be wondering the same thing. And as much as he'd like to reassure them… he can't. Sighing, he says, "They're still too new. If they're locked in together on a full moon… they're gonna tear each other apart."

Deaton nods, and then back to Isaac, says, "Isaac, we need to find them right now. Can you see them?" "No." "Do you know what kind of room it is? Is there any kind of marker?" As Deaton continues through a list of possible things that might be helpful if Isaac saw them… suddenly Isaac sits up straight. He jerks out of both Nixie and Scott's grip, staring straight ahead. But still in the trance, not really seeing anything.

Then he says, "They're here." And he just keeps repeating it as he tries to sink back into the water, as though trying to retreat and hide there so he can't be found. Deaton tries to calm him, but it's no use. Whatever the memory is… Isaac isn't recognizing anything at this point that will help them. He's too scared.

And it doesn't help when Derek, deciding that this is taking too long and is no longer working, raises his voice and demands, "Isaac, where are you?" "I can't see! It's too dark!" "Tell me where you are!"

Deaton, helping hold Isaac down now, says, "You're going to confuse him." But Derek ignores him and says, "Isaac, where are you? Tell me where you are!" Deaton grips Derek's arm across the rub and says, "His heart rate. He could go into shock, Derek." Scott grips Derek's other shoulder and says, "Let him go!" But Derek still shouts, "Isaac, where are you?! What did you see?!"

There's a brief moment of stunned silence, in which none of the others dare move. Derek, on the other hand, is thrown backwards from the tub and into the examination table behind him.

He'd been punched by her before, and he knew that even though she was human, Nixie had enough power to make it sting. That being said… he hadn't been braced for the hard kick to the jaw he just received.

Nixie doesn't pause after that. She offers Derek a slight glare, but then drops back down and grabs Isaac's head in her hands again. Pulling him down towards the water again and closer to her, she leans over and kisses him gently on the mouth.

His entire body stops shaking and thrashing in a second, relaxing back down into the water willingly. Deaton watches in fascination as Nixie then pulls back and leans to the left side of his head. Thumbs still rubbing his temples gently, Nixie whispers, "Isaac." His eyes open again and he says, "Nixie." "I have you. Do you understand? I'm right here. And they can't hurt you here. Whoever they are, whoever it is that you see… they can't get to you right here, right now. I won't let them. Do you understand?"

It takes a moment, and then Isaac says, "Yes." Nixie sighs in relief, and then looks up to Deaton again. He nods and is about to ask another question, but then Isaac lifts up a hand and says calmly, "Give me a moment. I'll find something."

Deaton stares at him in surprise, and then looks up at Nixie again. Softly, he asks, "What did you do? Why'd you kiss him?" Scott and Stiles both look at her wonderingly at that too. But Nixie just rolls her eyes and says, "Apparently I make him feel safer than any other person on the planet. Kissing me is how he calmed down enough for Peter to try reading his mind. I… I just figured it couldn't hurt to try it again."

Stiles can't help laughing a little though when Nixie says, "But so help me, the next person who tries to kiss me had better damn well be prepared to get slapped in the face. I'm not kidding. They're gonna need to go to the hospital after I'm finished with them. This shit is getting ridiculous in my opinion."

Isaac tenses again, so Nixie turns to him and says, "I've still got you Isaac. I'm right here." He relaxes again, and then asks, "Scott? Where's Scott?" Scott reaches down and grabs the same arm Isaac had gripped him with earlier. "I'm right here Isaac. Same as Nixie. Right here with you."

When Isaac finally actually wakes up and sits up in the tub, he exclaims, "I saw it. I saw the name!" Nixie sighs in relief, and then says to Scott, "Help him out of this thing." Scott hauls Isaac out of the tub while Nixie turns to find the blanket.

Derek hands it to her, and at his sheepish expression, Nixie sighs and says, "Look, I'm sorry I kicked you in the face. But potentially killing Isaac so we can have a chance to find Erica and Boyd is not okay. Especially since one of them… well, one of them might be…" Derek watches her, and then she shakes her head and says, "Let's not think about that yet. Anyways, sorry I kicked you in the face." He nods, and then says, "Sorry I didn't listen to Deaton." "Apology accepted. Now, let's get back to Isaac."

They wrap him in the blanket, and then Isaac says, "It was uh… Beacon Hills First National Bank. It's an, um, it's an abandoned bank, and they're keeping them locked inside the vault."

When no one responds to this news with any of the enthusiasm or haste that he'd been expecting, Isaac turns to Nixie and asks, "What?" Sighing, she says, "You don't remember what you said right before you came out of it, do you?" Isaac shakes his head and says, "No."

But at the sad and severally worried expression on her face, he knows it can't be good. Looking at the others now, he asks, "What? What did I say?" Stiles sighs and says, "You said when they captured you that they dragged you into a room and that there was a body in it." "What body?"

And he looks back to Nixie when she says, "Erica. You said it was Erica."

While everyone around her debates on several different things right now, Nixie sits on top of the nearby examination table. Legs crossed and one arm folded against her chest, the other nervously picking at her lip, she tries to find a way around the idea that Erica might be dead. But, as Stiles pointed out bluntly, Isaac's statement didn't leave a whole lot of room for interpretation. 'There's a dead body. It's Erica.' You couldn't really get any more straightforward than that.

Nixie looks up briefly when Stiles suggests, "What if that's how Erica died? They pit them against each other during the full moon and see which one survives. It's like werewolf thunderdome!"

The hard slap to the back of his head, though expected, is actually harder then he'd thought it would be. Turning to glance at Nixie behind him, he watches her return to her worried position, nervously picking at her lip. Shaking her head, she says softly, "We don't know she's dead yet." "Nix…" "I… yeah, it's probable. But we don't know. So just shut up about it."

Stiles doesn't argue with that. Derek watches her for a moment as well, and then says to everyone, "We need to get them out tonight. Before anyone else dies." Nixie nods in agreement with that, but Deaton says, "Be smart about this Derek. You can't just go storming in." "If Isaac got in, then so can we."

But Deaton counters again, "But he didn't get through a vault door, did he?" Derek is about to argue further, until Nixie interjects, "He also barely made it out alive. And considering Erica might already be dead… we can't take but so much risk with the rest of you right now."

"The rest of us?" Nixie lifts her gaze up to Derek, and at his raised eyebrow, she asks, "What?" "I think you mean us. The rest of us. As in, you are included in that. You can't take more risk than us either." "I'm taking the same risk as you all. Geez, get a grip. I'm not planning on finding it myself and busting in. Granted, I'd like to punch one of these alphas in the face. But on my own, I can't get Erica and Boyd and whoever else is in there out alive. So no worries. I can't go on a solo mission."

Scott puts a hand on her knee and says, "I think he just wants to be sure that you understand we don't want to risk losing you either." "Yeah, I got that. But I'm more worried about you people. Erica is, in all likelihood, probably already dead. I'm not gonna be able to cope if any of the rest of you die while I still need to process that. The depression I'll slip into will be like none this world has ever seen."

Pointing at everyone, she says, "So, note to all of you. Don't any of you dare die on me." To Derek, she says, "We need a plan for getting in there." "In twenty-four-hours? How?" But Stiles, wanting to make up for getting hit in the head earlier, has his phone out and says, "I think someone already did." Reading from the article, he continues, "'Beacon Hills First National closes its doors three months after vault robbery.' Doesn't say here how it was robbed, but it probably won't take long to find out."

Derek stares at him in surprise and mildly impressed, and then asks, "How long?" "It's the internet Derek. Minutes."

Stiles grins when Nixie kisses his cheek as she hops off the table. Finally having a direction to work in, Nixie claps her hands together and says, "Alright. All-nighter as Stiles house." "I just said it would only take minutes." "Thereby jinxing us. We'll be lucky if we get an hour of sleep tonight. But, we will figure this out."

She looks pointedly at Derek when she says that, and then everyone grins when Nixie says, "And break. Go team, go!"

* * *

"Is this whole 'remain optimistic in the face of complete and utter disaster' thing a part of the 'be a better Scott McCall' program?"

Nixie wakes up at the sound of Stiles voice, and upon lifting her head to see them, she hears Scott say, "Uh… not if it doesn't work." Stiles sighs and says, "No, it works."

Then they both look over when Nixie says, "Of course it works. We have the most awesome alpha that ever existed. His optimism is infectious." Stiles grins as she rolls up to the edge of the bed and adds, "And aside from that, we are a pack that gets results. Between Scott's leadership and optimism, your theories and research Stiles, and my ever constant willingness to kill all other obstacles in our way… there is nothing we can't accomplish."

Scott chuckles, and then shrugs to Stiles and says, "See. We're kind of awesome. We'll figure this out." Stiles nods and says, "I'll get some coffee started. Just…" Then he freezes, eyeing a picture on one of the sheets of paper in his hands. Then he shoves it at Scott while shouting, "Dad! Dad!"

Nixie moves to Scott's side, and upon seeing Noah's picture as one of the cops who arrested the guys that broke into the vault, Nixie says, "Huh. Go figure." Scott grins at her, and then asks, "So… how much sleep did you get?" "Enough to know we need to hurry the hell up if we want to save Boyd and… whoever else is in the vault with him." "Right. Let's get a move on then. But don't leave without Stiles' coffee."

And he chuckles again when Nixie says, "Seriously, why is it called his coffee? I'm the one that drinks it."

As they get downstairs and eat a short breakfast in the kitchen, Nixie glances at her phone to read the text from Derek. "Okay. So we're meeting at Derek's loft at five to go over the plan." Scott nods and says, "Good." Stiles nods too, and then asks, "And until then, what do we do?"

Nixie looks over at him, and then grins and says, "Well, it's this new thing going on. It's called…" "If you say school right now, I swear to God, I'm gonna hit you in the back of the head." "You can try. But I'm even worse than I was before. I'm like an actual ninja now." "Yeah, yeah. If that's the case, then why can't I call you a compact ninja yet?" "Because, my dear Stiles, you value your life." "Right. Obviously."

* * *

As Stiles is explaining to everyone how the original heist was pulled off, Nixie is scrolling through her phone, trying to find out where they could go to get the kind of drill they want. Normal drills are easy to come by, and sold practically everywhere. However, the kind of drill they'd need to make it through the stone wall of this bank vault… they need one of considerably higher caliber. Much harder to find on such short notice.

So when Derek says, "Look, forget the drill," Nixie drops her phone to the table and says, "Thank God. Do you know how hard one of these things is to find at the last minute? I'll tell you. It's impossible. Damn near, impossible."

Derek offers her a slight grin, and then asks, "If I go in first, how much space do I have?" Stiles is staring at him like he's lost his mind, but Derek nods in appreciation when Nixie doesn't really question his idea. She simply calculates in her head, based on the information they have and eyeballing Derek's size in general, and then says, "Maybe three inches. If you keep your elbow down. You won't be able to pull it back to help gather force."

Stiles looks between the two of them, and then asks, "What exactly do you think you're gonna do? Punch through the wall? And… Nix… what do you think? That he can do it?" Derek gives Stiles a look and says, "Yes, Stiles, I'm gonna punch through the wall."

When Stiles looks at Nixie again, she simply shrugs and says, "Werewolves and kanimas exist. My allowance for what might be possible at this point is exceptionally wider than it was a year ago. If Derek says he can do it, then he can do it. Besides, I can't find a drill that'll be good enough to help us. Not to mention, you just said it took them twelve hours to drill through the damn wall. We don't have that kind of time."

But Stiles still turns to look at Derek, and sarcastically asks him to make a fist so Stiles can show him just how small the space actually is that he'll have to gather enough force to punch through the wall. And as Derek stands there, fist made, Stiles hand right in front of it, he glances over at Nixie for a moment. He knows that she understands what he's thinking, and when she simply shrugs in response, Derek punches Stiles' palm as hard as he can.

Well, maybe not quite that hard. But Stiles still yelps in pain and cringes and steps away, nursing his now sore and probably bruised hand. But, on a positive note, he confirms for everyone, "Yep. He could do it."

Derek grins slightly at Nixie, and then says, "I'll get through the wall. Who's following me down?"

Nixie's hand instantly goes up, but Derek says, "No, not you." Frowning, she asks, "And why not?" "Because you're very human, and Boyd and whoever else is in there are very much werewolves. Werewolves that aren't going to be in control of themselves on a full moon. I don't care if Boyd knows who you are. He's going to try and kill me as well, and I'm his alpha. And whoever else is in there, doesn't know you yet. To them, you're just a piece of meat. They certainly won't care. So no. You stay here."

Then he looks to Peter, who reminds them all that he's not up to fighting speed. And he also suggests that they should let Boyd and Erica go, considering the alpha pack that they are trying to free them from. On a particular note, Peter reminds them that two of the alphas join together to form one mega alpha.

He would go on, but Nixie fixes him with a hard stare to shut him up. And to his credit, he slides himself a couple of steps further away from them when Stiles asks, "Can someone kill him again, please?" He slides back because Nixie actually stepped towards him, happy to try and go along with Stiles' request.

Scott's hand on her arm is the only reason she stopped. Meeting his gaze, she asks, "What? It's not like he'd be missed." "Please Nix. If Erica's dead, there's already enough death around this. Let it go." "Fine. But I still don't like him." "Noted."

Then, when Derek asks if Scott is willing to go, Scott says, "If Boyd's still alive, we have to do something. We have to try." Nixie smiles at him, and then says to Peter, "That's why he's my alpha."

Peter raises an eyebrow at her, but doesn't get to comment as Derek asks, "But?" Nixie turns to him, and then looks to Scott when he asks, "Who's the other girl? The one locked in there with Boyd?"

They all take a moment to ponder that, but then Derek says, "If we're going to go, we have to go now." Scott nods and then gives Nixie a hug before saying, "We'll try to be back soon." And then in her ear, he whispers, "Keep Stiles safe. Don't let Peter touch him." "Believe me. Hell will literally freeze over first." "Good."

* * *

"I can't take waiting around like this, you know? It's nerve-racking. My nerves are racked. They're severely racked!"

As Stiles makes a strangled noise in his throat, running a hand through his hair, Peter offers up, "I could beat you unconscious and wake you when it's over."

He sees Nixie shift in the corner of his eye, so he quickly adds, "Joking. Geez. But seriously, the boy needs to learn to calm down." Nixie simply glares at Peter and says, "Being uncalm in general is part of his charm. Calm under pressure is what he needs to be, and if that were the case, he would find a way to be fine. We aren't under pressure right now though. Scott and Derek are. So he is uncalm, and very worried. Do not threaten him again. I will…" "Yes, you'll kill me. Got it."

She narrows her eyes again, but then looks over at Stiles when he asks, "Do you think Erica's really dead?" Peter sighs and is about to comment, when Nixie gives him a sharp look, and he decides he'd better not comment on that point. He obviously didn't really care… but he could keep that to himself for now.

Then Stiles says, "I just… I don't understand the bank, though, okay? Right Nix? I mean… why? Why wouldn't they chain them up in some underground lair or something? Right? They're an alpha pack. Shouldn't they have a lair or something?"

Peter sits up at that, and though he has about a million comments he'd like to say, he sticks with a simple one that he doesn't think should piss Nixie off too much. "They're werewolves Stiles. Not Bond villains." Then he looks to Nixie and asks, "Really? You just let him go on like this? All the time?" "He will eventually come across something that neither of us are thinking of right now. This is him being helpful. Trying to think of every possibility. Leave him be."

Stiles then moves across the room and says, "Maybe they're living there. You know? Like… like, maybe the bank vault reminds them of their little wolf dens."

And this time, though Peter had been prepared to ask, Nixie is the one who asks, "Wolf dens?" "Yeah, wolf dens? Like…, like Peter! Where do you live?"

And he can't pass it up, so he says, "In an underground network of caves, hidden deep in the woods." Stiles leans back at that and asks, "Whoa, really?!" "No, you idiot. I have an apartment downtown."

Stiles makes to comment on that, but then looks at Nixie when she says, "Seriously Stiles. Rein it in just a little bit. The fact that Derek, as a kid, used to live in that house that got burnt down, should make it pretty clear that they live in houses and apartments and things, just like regular people."

He nods after a moment, and then says, "Okay, but that just proves that's there still something up with the bank. And, why wait around for the full moon, huh? Why not just kill them whenever they wanted to?"

Nixie shrugs, and then looks to Peter when he says, "Maybe they think it's poetic." Opening his eyes, he looks over at Nixie when she asks, "What the hell kind of poetry have you been reading?" He shrugs at her, and then they both look to Stiles when he adds in, "That can't be it anyways. They've already had three full moons to be poetic." Sighing, Peter says, "And here you've only had one full hour to be so annoy…"

Nixie can hear Stiles asking what exactly Peter thought he was going to say after that… to go ahead and finish his sentence. But at seeing the wheels suddenly turning faster in Peter's mind, she doesn't try to chew him out for calling Stiles annoying again. As usual, Stiles finally hit on something that the others hadn't thought of before… and whatever it was had Peter worried.

Rising to his feet, Peter asks, "What are the walls made of?" Stiles glances around at Derek's loft and says, "What? I don't know. Wood… brick…" "No, no, no… the vault. The walls of the vault. What are they made out of?"

Back at the table with the schematics of the building, rifling through them, Peter then looks up at Nixie and asks, "Where would it say the materials, the type of stone the vault is made of?"

And Stiles, for once, doesn't comment on what's going on. Because Nixie doesn't hesitate. She doesn't look at Peter with glaring eyes and ask him why on earth he needs to know that. She just scrambles to find the stack of papers that Stiles had brought in his bag, and hands them to Peter, saying, "There. If it's anywhere, it's in there." "Alright, take half. We need to know what the type of stone is. Quickly."

As they're scanning through the pages, Stiles between Peter and Nixie to try and help them as they search, Nixie suddenly shoves her half of the packet over and says, "Here! This is it! It says… um… how do you say that?"

Peter takes it from her and then says, "Hecatolite." Peter's tone tells Nixie all she needs to know, but Stiles asks anyway, "Is that awful? It sounds awful."

But Peter ignores him. Turning to Nixie, he says, "Call them. They'll answer you, right?" "Yeah. Why?" "Because Boyd and that girl aren't going to kill each other. They're gonna kill Derek and Scott."

Nixie stares at him for all of a second, and then hands her phone to Stiles and says, "Dial them." Then to Peter, she says, "Explain. What is going on?" "It's the stone, it…"

But as Scott answers the phone and Stiles insists that he don't hang up yet, Peter rushes over and says, "Scott, the walls are made with a mineral called hecatolite. It scatters the moonlight." Scott, frowning, asks, "What does that mean?"

Peter, huffing in aggravation, turns to Nixie as he talks and says, "It keeps the moonlight out. They haven't felt the full moon in months. Nixie, they haven't shifted since they've been taken. Since you last saw them. How do I… how do I explain to him…"

Nixie steps up to the phone in Stiles' hand and says, "Scott, think about it like the gladiators in the Roman Colosseum. Remember the paper you had to write this summer?" "Yeah. Nix, what…" "Scott, listen to me. They used to starve the lions for three days, making them more vicious, and more out of control. Boyd, and this girl in there with him, have not been allowed to shift for three full moons."

Peter, on the other side, says, "Diminishing their tolerance to it. They won't be able to fight the shift, and they'll have no human control left. It will be all wolf instinct. They're the lions Scott. They're the starved lions and you and Derek just stepped into the Colosseum."

Nixie can hear Scott trying to talk to Derek, so she grabs the phone and shouts, "Derek, get the hell out of there, now!"

In the background though, she can hear him ask in shock, "Cora?" Shaking her head, Nixie asks, "What?" Derek says the name again though, obviously not hearing her. Handing the phone back to Stiles, she says, "Talk to Scott. Get him out." Then to Peter, she asks, "Who is Cora?"

Peter blinks in surprise, and then says, "Cora? He… he said Cora? He said that name?" "Yes, now who is she?" "She's his… she's Derek's sister. His younger sister. But… but we thought she was dead!"

Nixie stares at him a moment more, and then jerks to Stiles when he shouts, "Scott, are you hearing this? Scott!"

The line dies, and for a moment silence reins throughout the whole building.

Peter jumps in surprise when Nixie grabs him by the front of his shirt. Dragging him closer, she points to Stiles and says, "If you hurt any part of him while I'm gone, I am going to make you wish that I would just kill you." Then she grabs her phone from Stiles and says, "I'll call you when I find them. They are not going to die."

Stiles stares at her a moment, and then asks half-jokingly, and half-worriedly, "Hell will freeze over?" "Damn straight."

They can both hear her bike crank and then burn rubber and she tears out onto the road. They can only hope that she gets there in time to do something… anything, to help them.

* * *

End of Chapter 2! Yay! Chapter 3 to follow shortly (hopefully).


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

And before you get started, I have one thing to add. There is a flashback in this chapter. I've never really done one of those before, and I didn't want to separate it the same way that I separate all the other breaks within the chapter. So, the beginning has a note that says (Flashback), and then beneath it, there is (End Flashback); and it's all underlined. I know, pretty straight forward. But I wanted to give you guys a heads up anyway.

Sorry for the interruption. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3: Episode 3x3

Nixie was sitting between two trunks that connected at the base of the same tree. It was a place from which she knew, if she needed to, she could scramble up into the tree and be out of reach quickly. That was to be her last option though. In spite of what Peter and Derek seemed to think, she was of the hopes that Boyd would have some semblance of a grip on his humanity. That he'd be able to at least try and stop himself from killing her.

She was sitting there, listening, waiting, and hoping that she had put herself in the right position for these two werewolves to start running.

And she had… which is why she suddenly heard the young child in the distance screaming, "Run! Run!"

Eyes opening, Nixie dropped down from her seat a couple of feet off the ground, and began racing in the direction of that sound. Now that Boyd had apparently found his next target, he wasn't trying to quietly prowl through the night. She could hear him snarling and howling as well.

The fireflies that she ran into on her way stalled her for a moment. Seeing them was a confusing sight indeed. But she had more important things to worry about right now.

She did have the foresight to snatch up the jar full of fireflies that the kid had managed to collect first though, and then she took off again towards the sound.

Scott intercepted her when she was just short of the shed that the kids were hiding in. Snatching her up and spinning her to a stop, he says, "You can't go out there! He'll kill you!" "He'll kill them if we don't stop him!" Scott nods and says, "I know. Just… I need to think. It…"

He spots the jar of fireflies she's holding, and then asks, "Why do you have that?" Nixie shrugs and says, "I figured I could chuck it at his head. Maybe give him a new target to go after." "Nixie…" "What? It's better me than the kids."

Scott sighs, and then says, "Maybe we don't have to hit him. Just distract him. Give me that." He takes the jar from her, and then says, "Stay here. When I get back, I'm gonna hand you the boy, and we're going to run away from here as fast as possible." "Why don't I stay and keep an eye on Boyd?"

At Scott's look, which screams that she's the human and that should be reason enough, Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "Fine. Just hurry up."

It's a scary sight, to say the least. Watching Boyd rip the shed off the ground as though it were nothing, and then toss it aside like it was nothing more than a paperweight… it was illuminating, to say the least. Finding a way to catch Boyd and this other werewolf was going to prove an incredible challenge indeed.

Fortunately, Nixie thrived on challenges. Bring it.

When Scott returned at a full sprint, carrying both children, he handed the boy to Nixie and said, "Let's go!" She takes off after him, not quite as fast… but keeping a good pace behind him nonetheless.

She shouldn't be able to keep up at all. Just another thing that comes to mind… but she decides will have to be looked into later. Besides, being able to keep up with werewolves, at this point, was definitely a good thing.

When Scott stops, listening to make sure they're far enough away, Nixie puts the boy down next to his sister. Huffing out a breath, she turns to Scott and says, "Okay. Next time, you can carry both of them. I'll just follow. I don't think I can do that again."

Scott grins, and then glances down when he hears her phone vibrating in her pocket. Pulling it out, Nixie holds it to her ear and asks, "Yeah Derek?" "Where are you? You said you were about to have them ten minutes ago." "Yeah, about that. I lost them."

A pause, and then Derek asks, "You lost them?" Nixie crosses her free arm over her chest and says, "Hey, don't take that tone with me. Suffice it to say, keeping him in sights at the time would've been a very bad idea. I'm with Scott too by the way. We had to lose him for the time being."

Derek sighs and says, "That wasn't the plan. You were to stay put. He would've…" "Derek, I know. For some reason, you think he would've come to me. But that backfired miserably, alright." Sighing, Nixie then says, "Here, just talk to Scott for a minute. Keep in mind that he and I are in agreement about how we need to handle this."

She hands her phone over to Scott, and then turns back to the kids. Bending down in front of them, she says, "Hey guys." The boy, who had been fidgeting ever since he'd been put down, reaches out for her arm and holds it in a death grip. He was still scared. The girl was too, but she had contented herself with keeping a firm grip on her little brother.

Nixie smiles gently at them and asks, "What are your names?" The boy takes a breath and says, "I'm Josh. This is my sister Lucy. We… we just wanted to catch some lightning bugs." Nixie nods and says, "I know. But keep this in mind from now on. You should never, not ever, go out into the woods without a grownup with you. Especially at night. And you definitely should never be this far from home."

They both nod at her, and then as Scott moves to stand next to them, Lucy quickly rushes over and grips his arm tight, keeping herself close to him. Scott looks down at her, and then says into the phone, "Just gotta drop something off first."

Hanging up and handing the phone back to Nixie, he says, "We're meeting him at the trail to the preserves. But we need to get them home first. You game?" Nixie looks to the boy holding onto her arm. She was already tired from having carried him the first time. He was the smaller of the two, but he was not exactly a tiny little kid.

But, he had apparently taken to associating her with safety, so she nods and picks him back up before saying to Scott, "Let's go. Though, if we can travel at a slightly slower pace, I would appreciate it. Sprinting on my own is fine. Sprinting with precious cargo… not the wisest idea."

Scott grins at her, and then picks up the girl and says, "Let's get you guys home."

* * *

Scott is sprinting right alongside Derek afterwards, keeping pace with him in the woods, trying to track them using their enhanced senses. So far, it wasn't really working.

That's when his phone goes off, and after listening to Nixie for a moment, he says to Derek, "Hard left."

They both shift direction and sprint that way, Scott taking the lead. Leaping over and through a tree on their way, Scott flips and tumbles like an agile gymnast onto the ground, Derek right on his heels.

And he can't help but grin when Nixie says, "If I were a judge, I'd give you both a nine out of ten. The missing point is for the sheer fact that you two shouldn't be showing off right now." Derek gives her a look, but then asks, "What'd you find?" "Footprints."

She points them out, and Scott asks, "Is it them?" Nixie gives him a look and says, "Would I have called you if it wasn't?" Derek pats her shoulder, and then says, "Looks like we weren't the only ones who decided to stick together." Scott sighs and asks, "Is that gonna make it easier or harder to catch them?" "I don't know."

Scott sighs again, and then looks to Nixie when she asks, "You didn't ask him yet?" Derek looks between the two of them, and then asks, "What?" Scott explains about the two kids that Boyd tried to rip apart earlier, and then asks, "Are they gonna do that to everyone they find?"

"Everyone and anyone." Nixie watches as Derek takes off again, more dismal than before. Sighing herself, she says, "Alright fearless leader. Pick me up." Scott chuckles at her, and then bends down in front of her so she can hop on his back. Hefting her up, he asks, "You good?" "Yeah. You sure I'm not too heavy for this? I can run around on my own you know." "You're not too heavy. I'm a werewolf. You're like a feather to me. And we need to keep you in sight if we can. Letting you out on your own in the first place was a stretch before. Now that I know Boyd and Cora will try to rip apart anyone they find…"

He takes off after Derek while saying, "Just don't get any bright ideas about letting go anytime soon. I'll drag you along behind me if I have too." "Is that any way to repay your tutor over the summer?" "By keeping you alive? Hell yes." "Ah. Well played, my dear Scott. Well played."

When she gets a text on her phone, she taps Scott on the chest and says, "Not letting go. My phone." "Alright."

The text from Alison says, _"Keep my in the loop. I'll help in any way I can."_ Nixie sighs inwardly and sends back, _"Will do. Be careful."_

(Flashback)

When Nixie had first arrived at the bank, everything had been winding down. Boyd and Cora had already been set free from the vault, thanks to Alison breaking the seal of mountain ash that had been trapping everyone inside. Derek and Scott had looked worse for wear… but they were alive, and Nixie had been willing to take it at that point.

Which is when Derek made it impossible to keep what Alison's mom had been doing the night she'd been bitten a secret any longer. As he'd gone to search the closet that Alison had been hiding in before, Scott revealed to Alison why Derek had no other option that night but to bite Victoria.

All Alison wanted to know after that, was why Scott hadn't told her. And, for that matter, why Nixie hadn't told her. Nixie, on that point, had simply differed to Scott. It had been Scott's decision to make, in Nixie's mind, and she'd let him explain it to Alison himself.

Besides… Derek was now coming back, with Erica dead in his arms. His own face showed more anguish than Nixie had ever seen on the man before.

She's not sure what she looked like at the time… but since Alison had seen it necessary to hold her in a hug that seemed to be trying to support her, Nixie would guess that she'd paled and looked about to collapse at any given moment. And as they'd been leaving, Alison had even offered to drive her home… apparently worried that she wasn't alright to drive her bike anymore.

That had snapped Nixie back into awareness, and she'd declared that she couldn't go home until Boyd and Cora had been found and prevented from killing anyone innocent.

(End Flashback)

And so far, they'd succeeded. She just hopes that they can find them and somehow contain them before they actually make it back into the city. Because if they make it there…

Well, heaven help anyone that wasn't smart enough to get out of their way.

Speaking of which, Nixie lifts her head from Scott's shoulder long enough to see the newest werewolf they'd just learned about. Cora, Derek's younger sister.

She was currently wolfed out, stalking towards a lone female who had been camping out in the woods. Seriously… why did people have to try and be in the woods so very far from civilization? She could scream until she was blue in the face… no one would hear her.

Scott stops while Isaac, who had already entered the clearing, keeps Cora occupied and away from the newest potential victim. Tapping Nixie's right leg, he lets her down off of him, and then says, "Stay here." "Oh, like hell I will." "Nixie…" "I know how to fight. Even better than I did before. Just go and intimidate the crap out of her. I'm right behind you."

And they do, Scott giving Cora an impressive drop kick to the stomach that sends her flying backwards. And then Derek rounds to the other side, all three werewolves corralling her in the other direction, away from the camper.

A completely wolfed out werewolf, Cora very much is at this time. But stupid… definitely not. Knowing she's outnumbered and outmatched, she takes off into the woods, Derek and Isaac right behind her. Scott pauses though, turning to the woman who had been about to become Cora's victim of the night.

The woman backs away from him instantly, but as Nixie comes up to his side, she says to the woman, "It's alright. We're friendly." The woman squints at her, apparently either confused, or not appreciating the sarcasm. Scott glances back at Nixie for a moment, and then asks the woman, "Are you alright?"

She doesn't really know how to respond, but Scott eventually makes her understand that she needs to clear out of the woods as fast as she can. Then he scoops Nixie up in his arms, carrying her in front of him this time, and sprints after Derek and Isaac into the woods. Huffing against his chest, Nixie asks, "When are you going to let me be helpful tonight?" "When you get a chance. Trust me, I'm not benching you." "Then why in the world are you no longer letting me outside of a ten-foot radius from you?"

Scott looks down at her, and then says, "Because I know what they're capable of right now. When Derek and I were in the vault, when we were trapped in there… I thought we were goners. They're… they're stronger than anything I've seen before Nix. It's like, not being able to feed off of the moon for so long, has made them more attune to it… like they can soak in its rays more and get more power or something. It's… they almost killed us."

Squeezing her tighter, he says, "And I'm not comfortable with the idea that they would just as easily try to kill you as they did me and Derek. We're more durable than you are." "I'm durable! I'm as durable as they come!"

Scott grins down at her, and then chuckles when she adds, "But I see your point. Which is basically that you love me too much to let me wander off on my own tonight. And how can I fault you for that? So… carry on, my dear alpha. I'll just be sitting here… waiting to be useful."

And that, of course, is when she gets a call from Lydia. And what is Lydia calling about? A dead body. That she found. By herself. Looking torn up and all kinds of bloody. To which Nixie's only response is, "Well, shit."

* * *

When they meet up with Derek and Isaac again, having lost Cora a while ago, Scott sits Nixie down and asks, "Is Stiles there?" "Yeah. Here, talk to him."

As Nixie could not possibly hope to reach Lydia as quickly as she would've liked, she'd told Lydia to immediately call Stiles and have him come and get her. Then Nixie had waited exactly one minute, and then called Lydia back and kept her on the line until Stiles got there.

When Stiles did get there, Lydia was considerably calmer than she had been when she'd called him on the phone earlier. But upon seeing that she was talking to Nixie on the phone, Stiles wasn't all that surprised. As he'd been about to call his dad though, Lydia paused in her conversation with Nixie to say, "I already called the police."

In almost perfect unison, Nixie from over the phone and Stiles in front of her both asked, "You called the police before you called me?" To both of them, whether they knew it or not, Lydia answered with her own question, "I'm supposed to call you first when I find a dead body?" And again, in perfect unison, both Stiles and Nixie exclaim, "YES!" Stiles then moved over to look at the body, knowing they were probably short on time if the cops were already on their way. Then he borrowed Lydia's phone so he could talk to Nixie.

And upon hearing what Stiles had to say, Scott asks worriedly, "Are you sure?" "Yep. Throat ripped out, blood everywhere. It's like the freaking 'Shining' over here." Nixie shudders as she hears Stiles over the speaker in her phone and says, "Terrible movie. I mean… great movie, I guess. Definitely scary."

When Isaac and Derek both look at her in confusion, she shrugs and says, "I don't do horror movies. No. Not ever. In a million years. To save my own life. Nope." Derek raises an eyebrow and says, "And yet you will spend the entire night out with us, werewolves, who are trying to track down two other werewolves, in the woods, with the very real possibility of being mauled to death if we do find them."

Both Isaac and Derek chuckle when Nixie says plainly, "Yep. Just another normal night in Beacon Hills. Nothing terrifying about this. Nothing at all. Please note the heavy sarcasm in my voice."

As Scott keeps asking Stiles questions, Derek says, "It doesn't make any sense though. The public pool is on the complete other side of the woods. And I know we've lost them a few times… but we haven't tracked them anywhere near there."

Scott, hanging up with Stiles and tossing Nixie her phone back, says, "Derek, they killed someone." "But how are they moving so fast?" "Derek." "No, Scott, they can't be that fast on foot!" "They killed someone! Some totally innocent kid is dead. And it's our fault."

After a moment of silence, Derek says, "It's my fault."

Then he looks over at Nixie when she puts her hands on her hips and says, "Hey, don't think you can stand over there and skulk your way into taking all the blame here. I'm sure somewhere in this whole mess there's a sliver that somehow ends up being my fault. So there. Get over yourself. Let's work the problem and end this before anything else bad happens."

Looking to Scott, Nixie says, "We need help." Derek gestures beside him and says, "We have Isaac now." Scott shakes his head and says, "She means real help." Isaac jerks his head up for a moment, briefly offended by that statement. But Nixie quickly assures him, "He means more professional help, that's all Isaac. You're a great help. It just so happens that you, like me and Scott here, are still very new at this. We need help that has more experience."

Scott nods and says, "They're too fast for us. All of us. They're too strong. Too rabid." Derek shakes his head and says with semi-confidence, "We'll catch them." But then Isaac, understanding that Nixie is trying to solve this in a way that gets no one else killed, asks, "But what happens if we do? Are we just gonna hold them down until the sun comes up?"

Then, to Nixie's horror, Derek says, "Maybe it would be easier… just to kill them."

The slap to the back of his head was not what he'd been expecting. Then again… it had been a while since he'd worked so closely with Nixie. He'd forgotten how swift she could be with those things. Looking at her with wide eyes, he asks, "What was that…" "We are not going to kill Boyd and your little sister Cora! Geez! Do you have any common sense? Any at all?"

He gives her a look, but then turns to Scott when he says in Nixie's defense, "Killing them isn't the right thing to do." Then Isaac asks, "What if it's the only thing to do?" Isaac then cringes back a step when Nixie's gaze snaps over to him. She doesn't move to slap him though. She just says firmly, with hardened blue eyes, "Killing people is never the only option. It's just always the easiest. And very few things in life that are ever worth doing or having, are acquired by doing things the easy way. Do not ever forget that."

He nods to her, and then asks, "Then what do we do? What's the hard way?" Nixie smiles slightly at him, and then says, "It's not so much a hard way… just a slightly more difficult way. It will take a bit of finesse at first. Since the person we want to help us… isn't exactly in the mindset of helping us do this right now."

Derek gives her a look and asks, "Who?" And then they look to Scott when he says, "Someone who knows how to hunt werewolves."

The other two aren't sure who he's talking about at first, but Nixie is already on board. She and Scott had already talked about it earlier. And now, more than ever, they both agreed it was definitely time to bring him in.

It was time to ask for the help of Chris Argent.

* * *

When Chris turned Scott down… Nixie understood. She really did. She's already known that he wanted out of this world for Alison's sake. Watching his own father brainwash her last year, turning her into an almost ruthless killer… Nixie had already know that was part of why Chris wanted out.

But when she heard what Chris had to say? How this world, the supernatural world, had decimated his entire family, twisted all of them in some way, shape, or form… she understood it even more. Chris had lost much, and most of it due to the way the supernatural had affected the rest of his family. So… it made some sense for him to not want to step back into it.

But Nixie still stands by her and Scott's belief. The belief that if you know something… if you have the ability to try and prevent bad things from happening to good people… then you should. More than that… you had to. It was an obligation, a duty to be fulfilled.

And she knew that deep down inside, Chris still felt that way too. He just needed something to kick-start that belief back to the top in his mind.

Which is why, as Scott was preparing to head back to where Derek and Isaac were waiting, to try and think up something else, Nixie hung back and said, "Actually… maybe Chris wouldn't mind…"

She spoke to Scott, and though he was giving her a confused look, Chris couldn't see that. So Nixie kept speaking as though Scott obviously already knew what she was talking about. To Chris, she said, "I'm supposed to meet up with Stiles… try and see if the two of us can wrap our minds around this at a different angle. Could you… Scott should really be out there, so do you think…"

Chris gave her a gentle smile and said, "Hop in. Where are we going?" "We're meeting up in the public pool parking lot. It's not far, I'll tell you when to turn."

She nods for Scott to go ahead to the others, while she hops in the passenger seat with Chris.

And when they pull into the parking lot, cop cars and ambulances already filling the area and lighting up the scene, Nixie watches as Chris takes in everything with his keen eyes. She's about to hop out, to head off and at least talk to Stiles before going back to the woods.

That's when Chris grips her arm to keep her in the vehicle. Eyes still looking over the scene, he asks, "They did this. Boyd and…" Nixie nods and says, "Cora." Chris glances at the scene one last time, and then turns back to look at her and asks, "Where's the last place you saw them?"

He feels her entire body relax beneath the grip he had on her arm, and as she guides him to where they need to go, he smiles a little and says, "You were never going to meet Stiles, were you?"

Nixie shrugs and says, "I would've eventually. But no… I hadn't planned on it quite yet. Although I do definitely need to see Lydia tonight." "Why her in particular?" "She was the first one to find the body. And she was alone. Not good."

* * *

Back in the woods, Chris asks, "You've been tracking them by print?" Scott answers, "Trying to." "Well, then you've been wasting your time. There's only one creature on earth who can visually track footprints, and that's man. And if you're not trained like me, you have no idea that this print is Boyd's, and these…"

Isaac cuts him off and injects, "Are Cora's." Nixie grins a little when Chris says, "Nope. They're yours. You trampled Cora's as soon as you walked over here. In fact… the only prints I don't see yet are my own and…"

He looks over at Nixie, who shrugs and says, "I've been trying to keep to the harder packed sections of earth. Alison showed me that once." Chris nods in approval, and then says, "In any spare time you have, come to our house. I'll teach you more than how to avoid messing with the tracks. I'll teach you how to follow them." "Awesome!"

Back to the others, Chris says, "I know the three of you are focusing half of your energy on resisting your own urges under the full moon, but that puts you at a severe disadvantage to Boyd and Cora, who have fully given in. They've put the pedal to the floor, while you three are barely hitting the speed limit."

It's not lost on Chris that he had Nixie's attention more so now than he did before. Not that she hadn't been paying attention already. It was just that… what he'd just said had gotten to her. And he knew it was because she probably hadn't already thought of that.

Nixie was aware, maybe more than anyone, how hard it was for a werewolf, particularly new ones, to control themselves on full moons. She'd seen it firsthand when Scott went through it, had been there with him through all of that. But in the latter half of the year, Scott had grown increasingly and impressively more in control of his nature, and Isaac had found his anchor, and Derek had always been in control as far as Nixie had seen.

Bottom line… Nixie had almost forgotten how much effort it took on their parts… to keep themselves human while the wolf inside of them was desperately seeking control of that human half. Needless to say, she's none too happy that she hadn't already been aware of that… she makes a mental note to never forget it again.

Or to appreciate just how mentally and physically strong these three had to be, in order to keep themselves human with her tonight.

Derek, having accepted that they definitely needed Chris' help, simply asks, "So what do we do?" "Focus on your sense of smell. Actual wolves are known to track their prey by up to a hundred miles a day by scent. A trained hunter can use scent to track them. If the wind is with them, wolves can track a scent by a distance of two miles, which means we can draw them to us… or into a trap."

He tosses some netting in Scott's direction, and then says, "The full moon does give us one advantage. They'll have a higher heat signature, which makes them easier to spot with infrared." As he tosses Derek and Isaac pairs of googles with infrared scopes attached, Derek says, "Thanks, but I've got my own."

He shines his red eyes, and then tosses his pair to Nixie. Chris nods to her, and then says to the others, "Just remember that we're not hunting wild animals. Underneath those impulses are two intelligent human beings. Don't think they can't rely on that human side. It's suppressed, but it's there, reminding them how to mask their scent, how to cover their tracks, how to survive."

As they head back into the woods, heading for the edge of the cliff face that overlooks Beacon Hills, Chris gently grips Nixie's elbow and says, "You stick with me tonight." "Why does everyone seem to think I need to stick with somebody?" Chris glances at Scott and grins, and then looks down at Nixie and says, "For my sanity, please. Besides, I'm gonna need your help coordinating."

She gives him a look for a moment, but then finally said, "Fine. So long as being with you doesn't make me useless. But so help me, if you just put me in the truck and make me ride around with you all night, I'm gonna be pissed." "Noted. And I wouldn't dare try to do such a thing." "Good."

Standing there, overlooking the city, Chris asks, "When's the last time you saw your sister?" Derek glances over at him, and then says, "Nine years. Thought she died in the fire." "Do you feel like you have a lock on her scent?"

He shakes his head no, and then Chris turns to Scott and asks, "How confident are you in your skills?" "Honestly? Most of the time… I'm trying not to think about all the things I can smell." Chris nods, and then Nixie jumps a little in surprise when he asks, "And you?" "What about me?" "How confident are you that if we end up meeting them, you can handle yourself?"

On any other day, she would've answered him sarcastically, as was her usual way. But the look in Chris' eyes told her that he was taking inventory… trying to determine just all the assets he had, so he could best determine how to utilize them. She might start out being in the truck with him… but if need be, he would use her and her skills if he felt he could.

So she told him honestly, "If I'm alone and find both of them… I'm probably gonna die. If I'm alone and find one of them… I'll be fine. I can handle myself against one maniac werewolf." Chris nods to that, and then sighs and says, "Alright. The problem is when they breach the woods and hit the residential area."

Isaac asks, "They're not going to kill everything they see, are they?" Derek might've answered yes… but Chris says, "No. But there is an important difference to recognize. Wolves hunt for food. At a certain point, they get full. Boyd and Cora are hunting for the pleasure of the kill, for some primal apex predatory satisfaction that comes from the ripping of…"

He cuts off when Nixie grips his arm and says, "Got it. They're doing it for fun. Not good." Scott nods, but then adds, "We can't kill them."

And though Nixie is in agreement with him, she is also very worried and concerned about Derek's next question, which is, "What if we can't catch them?"

"Maybe we just need to contain them." Nixie looks up at Chris when he says that, and then asks, "How?" "Is there anyone in the school at night?" "Shouldn't be." Derek asks, "You want to trap them inside?" "If there's somewhere with a strong enough door. No windows or access to the outside."

And Nixie smiles when Isaac suggests, "What about the boiler room? It's just one big steel door." Chris nods in approval, and then checks again, "You're sure the school's empty." Scott nods in agreement with Nixie and says, "It has to be. There can't be anyone there this late, right?"

Heading back to the truck, Chris pulls out one of his tools and says, "These are ultrasonic emitters. It's one of the tools hunters use to corral werewolves, pushing them into a direction we want them to run. Gives off a high-pitched frequency that only they can hear."

As he pushes down on the top of the emitter, he'd expected the three boys to cover their ears, the sound his device gave off probably loud enough to their ears to make them feel like they were going to burst. It's what made wolves run away from the noise, making it easy to control where they went.

But what he hadn't expected, what gave all of them pause actually, was when Nixie snapped her hands up to her ears and cringed back. Because she was the human… and she could hear the sound.

Okay… not all of them were shocked. Scott simply moves past the others and turns off the emitter. As he comes up to her, checking that she's alright, they both look to Derek when he asks, "You heard that?" Nixie shrugs at the other three who are looking at her in confusion, and she simply says, "I have always had exceptional hearing. Ask Scott… it's nothing new."

Scott nods in confirmation to that, but then leans towards her ear and whispers, "But… I really don't think you should've heard that." "Yeah, well… problem for another day, alright? Right now, Boyd and Cora. Top priority. Let's go."

* * *

Nixie is on the phone with Stiles, telling him to give her an update after he's talked with Melissa, when Chris asks Scott, "Do you see that?" She looks up with them at the bug flying in the air, and nods as Scott simply says, "It's a firefly." Chris nods and says, "No… no I know that… it's just, uh…. It's very unusual. California fireflies aren't bio-luminescent."

At Scott's confused expression, Nixie fills in, "They don't glow, Scott." Coming up beside Chris, she adds, "The kids we found earlier were catching them. One of them had a whole jar full. There's more out there." Scott nods, and then asks, "Does that mean something?"

Before Chris can answer, they hear the howling in the distance, growing closer with every second. It was working. Cora and Boyd were on their way. Sighing in relief, Nixie says, "Conversation to be continued at another time I guess. Right now, let's get this done. Back to the truck Chris?" "Back to the truck." "Alright. Let's go."

But even for all their careful planning… for all their corralling and directing of these two maniac werewolves… they hadn't quite been prepared for what happened next. Because Cora and Boyd didn't go into the doors at all. They didn't fall into the trap.

That human side, suppressed as it was… it knew a trap when it saw one. And upon sensing that they were indeed being lured in, Boyd and Cora didn't go through the school. No… instead they began climbing and jumping over it.

Hopping out of the truck and rushing up to the others, Chris says, "Someone needs to get the rear doors open." Derek sprints back inside to do that, and then Nixie says, "Someone else needs to make sure they actually go in." Chris nods and, holding up his electrified baton, says, "I'll go."

But Isaac shakes his head and says, "No. I'm faster."

As he takes off in that direction, Nixie turns to Chris and asks, "What do we do?" "Derek and Scott are going to lure them to the boiler room. You and I… we make sure they know we're cutting off their other direction of escape. They'll have no choice but to go after Derek and Scott."

Handing her a smaller, but no less powerful baton, he asks, "Think you can use this?"

He doesn't miss the pause in her hand as she reaches for it. It was a small hesitation, but it was there. Not enough to make him worry… just to wonder if she maybe didn't like the baton or the electricity part for some reason.

Nixie knows how to use this. She remembers how it had been used on her last year, several times, until she'd gone unconscious while trapped on the table in the Argent's basement.

It was a strange feeling, to be holding that same type of weapon now in her own hands. Of course, the same could be said about knives and blades in general… but Nixie found her experience with the baton to be the worst she could ever think of. Blades she could handle… but being electrified was something else. She didn't like it… not one bit.

But she took the baton anyway and joined Chris in cutting off access to the other hall when Boyd and Cora came running around the corner. Both werewolves glanced at them and the electrified batons briefly, and then snapped back towards Derek when he said tauntingly, "Come and get us."

They took the bait and took off after him and Scott, until they were both trapped in the boiler room. Nixie takes off after them, waiting outside for both Derek and Scott to return. When they do, she breathes a sigh of relief, and helps Derek bolt the door shut.

And she can't help but laugh when Scott asks, "Did that actually just work?" Because for all his confidence from beforehand… well, when did any of their plans ever actually go through without a hitch? Derek grins down at her, and then turns to Scott and says with equal surprise, "It worked."

When Nixie's phone goes off, she jumps in surprise since it had suddenly gone quiet. Sighing, she says, "When this is all over and their human again, make sure both of them know that they owe me coffee. And ice cream. In fact, they may just need to take me out to dinner one night to make up for all of this." Derek chuckles along with Scott, and then Nixie answers her phone and asks, "Yeah Stiles? What's up?" "Nix…"

The tone of his voice had Nixie straightening her posture instantly, and both Derek and Scott stopped grinning instantly when Nixie asked, "What's wrong?" "It… I… I found Heather. I… she…" Nixie ponders that a moment, and then asks, "Stiles?" "She's dead. Nix… she… she's…" "Where are you?" "I… I'm uh… I'm at the hospital… with Melissa. I… she wanted to show me…" "Stiles, listen to me. You stay there. You do not leave. Don't you dare try to drive yourself anywhere right now. I'm coming to you. Understand?" "I… um…" "Say yes Stiles. Do not leave until I get there. Understand?" "Okay." "Good. I'll be there in ten."

Hanging up, Nixie looks up at Scott and says, "He found Heather." "I heard. Do you think it was them?" As he gestures to Boyd and Cora in the boiler room, Nixie says, "I don't think so. Stiles didn't sound like he was angry or anything like that. He just… sounded heartbroken."

Nixie looks between both of them, and then points to the door and asks, "Are you two good here?" Derek nods and says, "We'll be fine. Let us know what happens." "I will."

Taking off back up the steps, she dashes into the parking lot where Chris is waiting. Smiling slightly, he asks, "Everything good?" "I need to borrow your truck." Frowning, Chris asks, "What happened? Are they…" "Boyd and Cora are in the boiler room and everything on that end is fine. I have a new issue to attend to now. Can I borrow your truck?" "Sure. I'll drive you wherever you…" "I'm driving."

He watches her in surprise for a moment, but she never breaks her stride on her way past him. And if he hadn't started moving when he did, he suspects she would've left him there in the parking lot instead of waiting for him to get in the passenger seat. Glancing at her as she cranks the engine, he asks, "What happened?" "Stiles finally found his childhood friend, Heather. She's dead. And I'm going to the hospital to stop him from having a complete mental breakdown."

As she peals out of the parking lot, Chris asks, "Just out of curiosity, why can't I drive you there?" "Because I told Stiles I'd be there in ten. I intend to keep that promise."

Chris' only response after that is to put on his seatbelt and grip the handlebar above his head for dear life.

* * *

When she gets there, Stiles is slightly out of his previously devastated state. Putting pieces of this ever complicated puzzle together helped him do that. And after he was finished talking to the girl, Caitlin, whom Nixie had met earlier that night in the woods, he steps back into the hall with Melissa.

First thing he does is wrap Nixie in his arms. She holds him back as tight as she can, rubbing her hands up and down his back. "We'll figure this out Stiles. I promise." "I think I already have part of it. But where's Scott?" "He'll be here when he can. He's helping keep Boyd and Cora contained for right now." "Alright."

Squeezing a little tighter, Stiles says, "I promise I'll fill you in. But… can we just…" "You don't have to say anything until you're ready Stiles. The world could be ending, and I'd still just stand here and hold you if that's what you wanted." He chuckles slightly at that, and then sighs against her and says, "Thank you. I just… I can't believe…" "I know Stiles. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Melissa, after a few minutes, finds an empty room for them to sit in. Nixie still doesn't press. She leaves that for Scott to do when he arrives. And in fact, it works out better that way, because Scott went first and informed them that a teacher had ended up in the boiler room with Boyd and Cora, so Derek had to go in by himself to prevent them from killing her.

When Nixie hears that it's Ms. Blake, she makes a face and says, "I don't like that woman. Why was she there so late anyway?"

And Stiles can't help but start laughing. Nixie raises an eyebrow at him, but then grins when he says, "All the things that you could wonder and worry about right now… and you pick wondering about why a teacher was at the school late at night?" "Well, it's highly suspicious behavior for anyone besides Mr. Harris, isn't it!?" "Oh yes. Because compared to the rest of what we've seen, that's the thing that would send my radar through the roof." "You know what, I don't appreciate you sarcasm, mister."

Stiles just kisses her on the side of the head, and then sighs and says, "I need to show you guys something."

He takes them to see Heather, pointing out the three injuries that killed her, and informing them that the other body that Lydia found earlier had the same three. Upon hearing that, Scott asks, "So Boyd and Cora might not have actually killed anyone." Stiles nods, but then sighs and says, "You're gonna wish they had though."

He grins slightly and looks over at Nixie when she says, "And I'm the one thinking strange thoughts?" She smiles back at him, bumping his shoulder, and then asks in all seriousness, "Why would we wish for that?" Sighing, Stiles says, "Well… I'm not exactly sure yet. But, the other girl who was out in the woods… Emily. Eventually they're gonna find her. She's one of them. Emily, Heather, and the guy Lydia found by the pool… all three were virgins. And if I'm right… they're all gonna have the same three injuries. Strangled, throat slashed, and head bashed in. It's called the threefold death."

Nixie runs a hand through her hair and says, "Which means they were chosen. They weren't picked at random. They were chosen." Stiles nods, and then looks to Scott when he asks, "So if these aren't random killings, then what are they?" Nixie sighs and asks, "Serial killings? I mean… something called the threefold death would definitely be a hell of a signature."

Stiles nods to her, but then says, "I think it's worse than that though." Nixie looks over at him and asks, "How does it get worse than serial killings? If they aren't even that, then what do we call them?"

Both she and Scott freeze when Stiles says, "Sacrifices. Human sacrifices."

To which the only response Nixie can think to give is, "Shit."

* * *

Lydia is sitting up in bed, reading a book with the light on. She's honestly afraid to turn it off… afraid that if she closes her eyes and tries to go to sleep, she'll just end up going out to find another body.

Until her mom hollers up the stairs that Nixie's here and she's coming up. Sighing in relief, Lydia rises from the bed and meets Nixie at the door. Shutting it behind her, Lydia then asks, "First… how are things with Boyd and Cora? Did you get Alison's message?"

Nixie had. She'd kept it quiet from Scott, because that's how Alison had wanted it. Mostly because of Derek though. Alison knew that Derek wasn't to blame anymore… but she knew that Derek still wouldn't want her help right now. But Alison was determined to help… even more so now than she had been before. Which is how she'd ended up at the school… helping to corral Boyd and Cora in through the back door since they'd jumped over the front.

Nodding to Lydia, she says, "Yeah. It worked out in the end. Still had a hiccup in the plan, but it got worked out. Derek had to go in and save our stupid new English teacher since she was there so late… but he has assured me that he's fine and on the mend, and that Boyd and Cora are going to be fine as well."

Lydia nods, and then waits a moment for Nixie to speak. When she doesn't, Lydia asks, "Are you going to be just like Stiles and not ask me what you want to ask me?" Nixie gives Lydia a look, and then turns to fully face her and asks sincerely, "Are you alright?"

That wasn't the question Lydia had expected… but after she takes a moment to think about it… she supposes she shouldn't have expected any different. Having a dead body to worry about was definitely something that would need to be addressed, and how Lydia had managed to find it, probably an even more concerning matter.

But Nixie's first and foremost concern had always been, and would always be, if her people were okay. The rest of the world could go to hell in a handbasket for all she cared, as long as her people were safe and out of harm's way.

Smiling a little, Lydia says, "I'm… better. Stiles helped me home. Even though I had a police escort. Walked me up to my room and everything." "Well, that's Stiles for you. You sure you're not ready to consider a more real and permanent relationship?" "Nope."

Nixie didn't press, and then sighs and asks, "So… how did you find that body?" "I have no idea. Like I told Stiles… I didn't even know where I was until I got out of the car." Nixie nods to that, and then says, "And just to be clear, you understand now that before you call any form of law enforcement, you're supposed to call me or Stiles… or both of us, first."

Lydia laughs a little, but nods and says, "Got it." "Good. Now, there is some information I need from you." Nixie asks for a few phone passwords and codes, after which Lydia asks, "And why do you need those?" "So I can most definitely make sure I can find you with the GPS locator website. I can even do it on my phone now, since you went and bought me this fancy new one."

Tilting her head a little, Lydia asks, "Okay, but why would you need to locate me by GPS? If I call you I can tell you where I am." "Yeah, but I'm hoping to find you before you call me. And I'm thinking you'll have to be put under stricter surveillance." Lydia finally just laughs and asks, "And what are my parameters now?"

Nixie grins up at her, and then says, "Just keep me updated. Call me frequently. And if I call you, pick up. If you don't, I'm going to assume you are dying, and I'm going to come after you. And so help me, if you don't answer and I find out you were with some boy and that's why you ignored my call, I'm going to castrate him."

Lydia nods dutifully, and then asks, "So… now what?" "Now… well, every crisis of the night has been averted for now. We have a potential whack-job on the loose that's making human sacrifices out of virgins… but there's nothing we can do about that tonight. You said you were fine?" "Yeah." "Good. Then I don't have to let you fix my hair. But I will stay tonight, just to make sure you don't go wandering off again." "Thanks." "Sure thing."

As they're settling in for the night, Lydia asks, "Do you think we'll ever have just a normal year here in Beacon Hills? Like… ever again?"

Silence greets her for a moment, and then Nixie says honestly, "I don't think so. But that's the price we pay for pulling back the curtain so we can see everything this world is truly made of. Normal… it doesn't exist for us. Not anymore."

They stay quiet for a while longer, and then Lydia asks, "Do you miss it? Normal, I mean?"

And she smiles when Nixie simply answers, "You can't miss what you never had. I was never normal to begin with." "Yes, I'm well aware."

And then Nixie smiles in response when Lydia adds, "Thank God for that."

* * *

And that's Chapter 3! Woohoo! What do you think so far? Chapter 4 will, hopefully, follow and be posted some time tomorrow. :)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 4: Episode 3x4

Usually, if a girl ended up in the boys' locker room, it would be cause for concern, detention, a scrambling to find clothes and cover body parts.

But… well, it was Nixie. Her presence next to 'her boys' was pretty much the only reason anyone needed to look for anymore. They didn't need any other explanation. Even Coach Finstock stopped questioning why she was in the boys' locker room as much as she was. It's not like she was always there. Just… whenever she, Scott, and Stiles had something to talk about.

And aside from that, it's not like Nixie was ogling any of the boys in here. She didn't have time for crushes or dating. And none of the boys in here were ogling at her. They knew better, lest they wanted to get punched in the face.

Or… well, they knew enough to at least never get caught staring at her.

In any case, no one raises an eyebrow or looks at her funny while she's standing next to Scott's left side, leaning against the locker next to his. And granted… an owner accidentally leaving their dog outside the clinic was usually not the greatest cause for concern.

But with a psychopathic, sacrificing, maniac is on the loose looking for virgins… well, it definitely raises a red flag. Which Stiles clearly thinks is possible as he asks Scott, "Okay, was he… like, you know? Could he have been a virgin maybe? Did he look like a virgin? Was he, you know, virginal?"

Scott immediately answers, "No. Definitely not." Nixie raises an eyebrow though and then gestures to herself and asks, "Do I look virginal?"

Both boys pause and look at her. Dressed in her boots, pants, leather coat and tank top, hair pulled back on her head… she was beautiful as always. Not that she agreed with that assessment, and they knew she never would… but Nixie also knew that she didn't look like some perfect princess who had never had sex. So Stiles and Scott offer up, "No."

Stiles then adds, "By the way, don't ask me to look at you and surmise that again. You're basically my sister. I'd rather not dwell on whether or not you've ever had sex… because then I have to figure out how I'm going to kill the poor bastard that was stupid enough to let you go."

Nixie smiles at that, and says, "Noted. In any case, my point is… just because he doesn't look like one… doesn't mean he isn't one. And besides, Scott can only do so much, what with picking up on chemo-signals and all that. How is any of that going to tell him if this guy was a virgin?" Stiles flails and says, "I don't know! Maybe something he said or did at the clinic or something!"

Scott makes a thoughtful noise in the back of this throat, and then turns to Nixie and says, "You know, that's true. There is that new policy Deaton put into place. You know… the one where I have to sleep with all of his clients." And Nixie, not even batting an eye, jumps right in and says, "Right, and how's that working? Business booming again?" "Oh, absolutely. Everyone wants a piece of this." "Obviously. By the way, I'm pretty sure I can get you a discount on condoms to sell at the front desk. That's bound to go a long way."

Stiles flails his hands at both of them and says, "Okay! TMI! This is a joke right?!" Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "Obviously Stiles." "Well, then you should've stopped, like… two sentences ago, or something." "Where's the fun in that?"

Scott grins and puts an arm around her shoulders. Sighing, he says, "It's nice when I get to have you on my side once and a while." "Always on your side Scott. Stiles and I are just usually the ones that take up all the sarcastic banter. Between the two of us, I don't think we'd survive if you jumped in all the time too." "Good point."

Stiles stares at both of them deadpan, so Nixie sighs and explains, "Look, Stiles… bottom line, Scott has no idea." Scott nods and adds, "Plus, why are you talking about him like he's already dead? He's just missing." Stiles gives them both a look and says, "Yeah. Missing and presumed dead because he's probably a virgin, guys. And you know who else is a virgin? Me. I'm a virgin, okay? And so is Nixie. We're both virgins. And do you know what that means? It means that our lack of sexual experience is now literally a threat to our lives. Okay?"

Nixie and Scott both stare at him, and then Nixie leans against the locker again and says, "Speak for yourself. Some would-be psychopath comes at me in the dark, I'll kick his ass. Or her ass. I'm not sexist, I don't care." Scott grins at her, but both turn to Stiles when he exclaims, "That's great for you. You're like a ninja. Not even a hunter, a ninja. While me, I'm flesh and bone and standing here with sarcasm as my only defense. I need to have sex… like, right now. Like someone needs to have sex with me, like today. Someone needs to sex me right now!"

And as Stiles slams his locker door shut, Danny turns to face them and says, "Alright, I'll do it."

Stiles nearly jumps out of his skin in fright, the yelp escaping his lips before he can stop it. Nixie slaps a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing aloud. Danny grins over at her while Stiles asks, "What?!" And Danny simply says, "Come to my place at nine. Plan to stay the night. I like to cuddle."

Nixie literally turns away from them when Stiles turns to look at Scott and her. She couldn't make her face stay straight yet. It was hard enough to keep her shoulders from shaking. Then Stiles turns back and asks, "That was so sweet. Are you kidding?" To which Danny says, "Yes. I'm kidding!"

And Nixie finally let's out a burst of laughter while Stiles says, "Okay, you know, you don't toy with a guy's emotions like that Danny." Danny shrugs, and then stops by Nixie and says, "And I usually charge extra for the cuddling… but you, I'll help for free." Nixie grins up at him and says, "If only I were actually someone who should be allowed to stand in the ' _boys_ ' locker room. I might actually take you up on that Danny." He chuckles and hugs her quick before moving on.

And that's when Isaac finally walks in the door. Frowning as Coach calls him out on being late, Nixie leaves Scott and Stiles listening to Coach, while she meets Isaac by his locker. "Hey." He looks over at her and says, "Hey. Um… sorry I'm…" Chuckling, Nixie says, "Don't apologize to me for being late. I mean… text me next time, but it's not that big a deal. Just… is everything okay?" "Yeah. Everything's great."

Looking into his locker… where half of his clothes and possessions are, Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks, "Really?" He notes her glance, and then says, "Um… well, Derek doesn't really have room for me to keep any of my stuff." "You're living with Derek?" Isaac nods, and Nixie asks, "Where do you sleep?" "On the floor. It's a good floor. It's flat… and hard. Flat and hard." Nixie raises an eyebrow again, and then says, "Well, maybe I'll have a talk with him. You at least need a…" "Please don't."

Frowning, Nixie asks, "Why? Are you afraid of him? Is he…" "No… no, it's not that. I just… he's got a lot… a lot to deal with right now. What with his uncle and… and his sister… who he thought was dead, but now isn't dead. I just… I don't want to add to it. I…"

Nixie puts a hand on his shoulder, and then says, "You are not a burden Isaac. You never have been, and you never will be. Do you understand?" Isaac nods down to her, and then smiles and kisses the top of her head before saying, "I know. You won't let me forget." "Well, that's part of my job." "Really?" "Obviously." "I thought that was just what you did for your boys."

He glances over at Scott and Stiles, but when he looks back at Nixie, she's giving him a confused look. Tilting her head, she asks, "You're a boy, aren't you?" "Well, yeah." Shrugging, Nixie finishes, "Well, then that means you fit into that category. Now, if you were a girl, you'd be in the same category as Lydia and Alison. But you're a guy, so you're bundled with Scott and Stiles."

She doesn't really see the awed sort of look that takes over Isaac's eyes. To her, this isn't news. It's simple fact. Isaac is one of them. He's someone that she cares about, and in her opinion, he's an honorary member of Scott's pack. And therefore… he's one of her boys. Patting him on the shoulder, she says, "I'll see you after Isaac. Knock em dead on the trail." "Yes ma'am."

She was heading up to her free period… when her phone went off. Looking down at the text, she sighs as she looks at Scott's message, _"We have problems. Get down here."_ Looking down the hall, where she knows Mrs. Clark is waiting for her to arrive to check in for attendance, Nixie says, "Well, so much for trying to achieve perfect attendance this semester." And she takes off back down for the cross-country trails.

And yeah… it's the kid that Scott had seen at the clinic the day before… strangled with his dog's own collar no less.

As they're walking away, Isaac glances back and asks, "Did you see the way the twins looked at him?" Nixie blinks in confusion and asks, "The twins? What about them?" Scott turns to her and says, "Isaac says they're the ones that turned into the mega wolf. They're with the alpha pack." "Oh for Pete's sake!"

Stiles nods in agreement, but then says, "But they looked at Kyle like they had no idea what happened." Isaac shakes his head and says, "No. They knew." Stiles gives him a look that asks if he's an idiot, and then says, "The kid was strangled with a garrote, alright? Am I the only one recognizing the lack of werewolfitude in these murders?" "Oh, so you think it's a coincidence that they turn up, and then people start dying?" "No! But I still don't think it's them!"

Then both look at Scott, and Isaac asks, "Scott? What about you?" He looks between them both in surprise, and then says honestly, "I don't know yet." And then he looks down at Nixie, who is standing in front of him, one arm crossed over her chest, the other up so her hand is gently touching her bottom lip. Her eyes were narrowed in thought, until Scott asks gently, "Nix?"

She looks up at him, and as she shrugs he says, "No, come on. I need those theories." "I have too many right now to actually be helpful."

Looking between all of them, Nixie then sighs and says, "My most likeable one though? The murders definitely have something to do with the alpha pack being here." Isaac smiles victoriously, but then it slips again when Nixie says, "But I don't think they did this."

When it looks like Isaac might argue, Nixie says, "I'm not saying they're simply innocent bystanders. For some reason, their presence here is also bringing with it sacrificial deaths. But they're an alpha pack. They're not afraid of anything from what I can gather so far. Least of all, getting caught. They wouldn't go through all the trouble of killing a person using the threefold death, when they can just as easily slash their throat open and kill them."

Sighing, she looks to Scott again and says, "I have no idea why their presence has also brought the killings. I'm working on that. Currently no leads. I'll get back to you." Scott nods in appreciation, and then says to the others, "We… and I hate to say it… but we need more."

Stiles stares at him and asks, "What more do you need? They're sacrifices. That's what the threefold death is for. It's…" Scott looks at him and says, "Look… Isaac has a point. Human sacrifices Stiles? A little far-fetched, isn't it?"

Stiles' eyes widen and his arms begin to flail, but Nixie puts a hand on his arm and says, "Chill. Down a notch, please." Then she looks at Scott and says, "Scott, please bear in mind what we have dealt with before, and then tell us what is far-fetched." "What do you mean?" Stiles jumps back to life at that, and stresses, "Scott, your eyes turn into yellow glow sticks, okay? Hair literally grows from your cheeks, and then will immediately disappear, and if I were to stab you right now, it would just magically heal…"

He pauses to take a breath, and then just points at Nixie when she finishes for him, "But you're telling us you're having trouble grasping human sacrifices?" Scott looks between the two of them, and then sighs and says to Isaac, "That's a good point too." Isaac grits his teeth for a moment, and then says, "I don't care. They killed the girl that tried to save me. They killed that kid, even if it does turn out that they did it indirectly. And I'm gonna kill them too."

Before he can walk away though, he pauses when a hand grips his wrist. Turning back to see Nixie, he says, "Don't try…" "I'm not going to."

When he blinks, Nixie shrugs and says, "I'm not like Scott. I'm not always opposed to killing somebody. I've threatened entirely too many people for anyone to think that. And I might not entirely agree with 'why' you're going after them already… but they're definitely not good guys. So no… I'm not going to try and stop you." Isaac tilts his head in question, and then grins a little when Nixie says, "Be careful. I'm serious. Because if they hurt you, then I'm going to have to try and kill them. And I won't have time to plan it properly, and then I'll go to jail, and I really don't fancy sitting in an eight by eight cell the rest of my life. Got me?"

Isaac leans forward and kisses the top of her head again before saying, "Yes ma'am." Then he stalks away. Sighing, Nixie turns back to Scott, who looks at her with wide eyes and asks, "Why didn't you tell him to not do that?" "Because he wouldn't listen Scott. Besides, that's not my job. You're our alpha. That's your job. My job, on the other hand, is to be the totally awesome chick who is prepared at a moment's notice to help you dispose of all the evidence."

Stiles nods and says, "And Derek drives the dump truck. Isaac brings the curtain. I bring the accelerant and matches. And Nixie makes sure the crime scene is so spotless it would never be seen as a crime scene."

Scott looks between them both, and then says, "You two have thought about this entirely too much." And then he chuckles when Nixie says, "We live with werewolves. It's our job to be prepared for the worst case scenario. Don't even get us started on what we have planned when you have little werewolf babies that have absolutely no control on the full moon." "You have contingency plans for when I have kids?"

"Yes. And let's just say it involves a whole lot of bleach and a very big hole in the ground, and leave it at that."

* * *

She was sitting in French class, trying to wake Alison up discreetly, when she heard her phone buzz in her pocket. Pulling it out and looking down, she sees Stiles' text that reads, _"Isaac just left class. He looks edgy. Don't like it. Scott and I can't leave to check and see if he's doing something stupid."_ Nixie nods and sends back, _"On it."_

Standing up with her books, she takes her finished paper to the front and asks, "Can I leave to go to the restroom?" "Certainly, Ms. Bennett." Nixie almost misses the use of her true last name… so much so that when it finally registers she nearly drops her books to the ground.

Tightening her grip, she turns back to Ms. Morrell.

Morrell, for her part, had for a moment, seemed a bit smug. She doubts very many people had what they would consider dirt on Nixie Haven. Formerly Nixie Bennett.

But the smug expression vanishes when she looks up and meets, for the first time, the glaring blue eyes that were infamous at this school. And all of that force is being sent at her. Leaning closer and whispering in a harsh voice, Nixie says, "If you ever reveal to anyone what little you think you know, I will kill you in the slowest and most painful manor I can think of. And I promise you, I have a more terrifying imagination than you could possibly comprehend."

Heading out the door after that, she sighs and says, "Great. Now I have to add that to the list of things I have to worry about. Just freaking peachy."

By the time she reaches Isaac and the twins, the two brothers are already trying to beat each other up. Tilting her head, Nixie says, "Odd."

And then Aiden tosses Ethan across the floor, directly in front of Isaac, and then disappears around a far corner.

Nixie picks up on what's happening to late, and before she can move to be near Isaac, Mr. Harris is coming out of the classroom. Glancing between the two boys, he asks Isaac, "Isaac, what did you do?" Ethan, bleeding from his nose and mouth, lets Danny help him up and says, "He just came at me."

Isaac sighs, and then turns to see Nixie marching up to him. Eyes hard, trained on Mr. Harris at the moment, Isaac knows she plans to either reveal the truth, or take the blame. And considering no one else would believe that Aiden and Ethan had tried to beat each other up… she was fixing to take the blame.

Catching her round the waist before she can get any further, he whispers in her ear, "Hey, it's alright." "I'll kill them." "They didn't hurt me." She pauses, and then looks up at him and says, "They're getting you thrown in detention, at least. I…" "But they didn't hurt me." He looks down at her a moment, and then smiles a little and says, "I'll definitely appreciate the help later. Trust me. But right now, I've got this."

She sends one last glare to Ethan and Danny on the floor, and then moves away to be with Scott while they wait for Mr. Harris to deal out Isaac's punishment. Nixie is still pacing outside his classroom when Scott says, "Why don't you go check in with Stiles? He's waiting outside the front office for his dad to come out right now. He's really concerned with figuring out if Kyle was a virgin."

Nixie glances at the room, and then sighs and says, "Just… keep me posted." "Of course, Nixie."

When she finds Stiles outside the office, Kyle's girlfriend, Ashley, has just stepped out. Poor thing looks like she wants to just curl up in a ball and die. They'd really been in love, those two.

Stiles stands to his feet and brings Ashley away from the door and says, "Hey, can I talk to you for a second? I'm sorry, it's just… I need to ask you something… and it's going to sound really and completely insensitive so I apologize in advance." Ashley nods, but still looks at him in shock when he asks, "Was Kyle a virgin?" "What?" "Your boyfriend, Kyle… was he a…"

Her hand raises and Stiles flinches in preparation for the slap to come… but it never makes it to his face. Opening his eyes to look, he sees that Nixie is now standing next to him, and she'd caught Ashley's arm mid-swing.

The girl looks pissed as hell at the hand Nixie has on her, and then at Nixie, who has yet to say a word. And then… she just starts trying to hit Nixie. Hands and fists punching and slapping at Nixie's shoulders and chest.

What gets to Stiles is that Nixie doesn't fight her. She just lets Ashley go at her. Until finally, Ashley just starts crying, and Nixie draws her forward and wraps her arms around her.

Cradling Ashley's head, letting it rest on her shoulder, Nixie rubs her other hand up and down her back and says, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." She just sobs onto Nixie's shoulder, arms wrapping around her at the waist and squeezing tight, holding on as though for dear life.

When Noah comes over, he watches the two of them for a while, and then motions for his deputy to step forward and escort Ashley away. She lets go of Nixie reluctantly, and then, before she's completely gone, she turns back and says, "No. He wasn't a virgin."

As soon as she's out of sight, Noah turns to both of them and asks, "Have you two completely lost your minds? I have four murders! You see those men in there? That's the FBI. They're pulling together a task force to help, because it looks like we've got a full-blown serial killer on our hands. Do you two get that?" Stiles nods and says, "Yes, Dad, we get that. And that… that wasn't Nixie's fault. I asked the question. Nixie just… intervened… in a much gentler way than I did."

Noah looks to Nixie for a moment, eyes gentling at her in a silent apology. Then he turns back to Stiles and asks, "Then what the hell are you doing?" Sighing, Stiles says, "I'm trying to find a pattern."

It takes a moment, but Noah finally sighs and says, "Look… you two, get back to class. Now. We are handling this. Go." Nixie grabs Stiles arm and pulls him away. He looks down at her and says, "Nixie, we have to…" "I know that and you know that. But you dad will not understand that. He's not privy to werewolves and druids and kanimas and all the other supernatural shit that seems to circulate in this town. Come on." "Where are we going?" "Kyle's locker. They're setting up a shrine there. With any luck… somebody will leave something that might give us a clue as to why he's being killed, since we now know that it's not because he was a virgin."

Stiles follows along with her willingly after that, and when they come to stand before the locker, Stiles asks, "Why didn't I think of this sooner?" "You were on the path of questioning the girlfriend. I knew that… which is why I went to exploring the other avenues and options." Stiles grins over at her, and then says, "We make a great team." "Obviously. Evil beware our combined, sarcastic efforts."

He's chuckling a little when Boyd walks up and pins something else to the locker. "Boyd! Hey… I didn't know you were back in school." Boyd raises an eyebrow and says, "Yeah. I would've told you… but we're not really friends." Then he glances down at Nixie, and she doesn't miss how his eyes drift down towards her chest, where he knows the scar from last year rests.

Lifting his gaze to hers, he nods and says, "I lost your number. Sorry." "It's alright. Here." She holds out her hand until he grins a little and takes out his phone and hands it over. Taking it and putting her number back into his contacts, she says, "Keep me posted, will you?" "Sure. Do you… do you need anything right now?"

Stiles blinks at him a little, and then glances at Nixie. Something had happened between these two… something that Stiles could tell, made Boyd feel that he was in her debt. And it wasn't just her help the night that he and Cora had lost control. This was something else.

Regardless of what it was though, it gave him an opening to ask, "Yeah, actually. Did you know Kyle?" Boyd glances at him, and then back to Nixie when he says, "Yeah. We were in Junior ROTC together." Stiles blinks in confusion, until Nixie explains, "Reserve Officers' Training Corps, is what it stands for Stiles." Back to Boyd, she asks, "Were you two friends?"

Boyd shakes his head, and then concedes, "I only had one friend. She's dead too." Stiles nods awkwardly at that, but then looks to Nixie who puts her hands on her hips. Boyd grins slightly at her, and then says, "Sorry. I forgot for a moment… it's hard to lose you." "Damn straight. And don't you ever forget it again." "Yes ma'am."

As he walks away, Stiles sighs and says, "You know what really sucks about all of this?" "What?" "We're not actually going to be able to know what connects Kyle to the next victim, until we actually have…" Nixie nods and sighs before finishing, "Another victim. Shit."

Stiles is still looking over the locker when Nixie's phone rings. Picking it up, she asks, "Yeah Alison? What's…" "Nixie!"

When Stiles turns around, Nixie is already gone, sprinting down the hall and around the corner while asking, "Where are you?" "Janitor's stock room. Isaac's here. We're trapped inside. Nixie… he's… I think he's shifting… he's losing it. I… I can't…" "Stay calm, and try to calm him." "I'm trying, he's not…" "I'm coming. Isaac!"

He hears her voice over the phone and his eyes that had been starting to glow dim a bit. But his voice is still a growl when he says, "Nixie. I… I can't… I can't breathe. I… I can't… I have to get out! I have to get out! LET ME OUT!"

Nixie hangs up the phone and says aloud, "Scott! Wherever you are, get to the stock room! Now!"

She's just rounded another corner when Scott meets her halfway and sprints past her. He shoves the drink machine aside like it was nothing, and then Nixie grabs the handle and throws the door open. Gasping as she looks inside, she says, "Scott, grab him!"

Nixie steps aside as Scott races in and tosses Isaac through the open door and into the tiny section of hall outside. He glances at Alison, and then says, "Check on her." Nixie nods and steps inside, grabbing Alison by the shoulders. "Are you hurt?" "I'm fine."

But when she brings Alison into the light, the blood and bruising on her arm does not look alright in Nixie's opinion. Frowning at it, she watches as Scott struggles to keep Isaac in his position on the ground.

Well, not struggles to keep him there. More like he's struggling to do it without hurting Isaac. Nixie nudges him with her foot and says, "He's half shifted right now. So shift."

Scott's eyes glow in response, and he yells, "Isaac!"

Isaac's entire body relaxes, and then he slumps down to the ground, panting in relief. Rising to his feet, Scott turns and asks, "How is she?" Alison immediately says, "I'm fine." Nixie gives Scott a look and says, "Isaac hurt her arm, but it's not his…" Scott nods and cuts her off, "I know. Check on him."

Nixie moves down to Isaac's side, gingerly touching his shoulder. He keeps looking at Alison, at the blood on her forearm, and then says, "I'm sorry. I didn't… I didn't mean to do that." Nixie nods and says, "We know Isaac. We…" Isaac looks up at Scott and says, "I'm so sorry." Scott looks down at him, and then as Alison says, "It's not his fault," he answers, "I know." Isaac relaxes a little bit, now knowing that Scott isn't mad at him for what happened to Alison.

Then he turns to Nixie and says, "I'm sorry. I… I tried… I tried to, but I…" "Hey." Running her hands over the sides of his head, bringing him closer to she can hug him, she says, "It's okay. This isn't your fault." Then she looks up at Scott and says harshly, "It's theirs."

Scott nods, knowing she means the twins, and says, "I guess now we know they want to do more than make you angry. They want to get someone hurt." Isaac leans back from Nixie, and then asks, "So are we gonna do something?" Scott nods and says, "Yeah. I'm gonna get them angry. Really angry."

Then he looks at Nixie and says, "I'm gonna need your help on that." "Name it." "Are you tools still in Stiles' jeep?"

Nixie takes a moment to ponder why he might need those… and then grins wide and says, "Hell yes."

* * *

"Alison, I need a big paperclip." She pulls it out and bends it open for Nixie, who is bent down by one of the twins' bikes. The other one had already been dismantled quite a bit, all of the pieces Nixie had managed to take off, now in Scott's book bag so he could show them to the twins.

That had been step one. Step two was to get the other bike, still fully intact, started for Isaac to drive. From where he is standing watch, Isaac glances back at the two girls and asks, "How long is this gonna take?" Nixie glances up at him and says, "Patience is a virtue, Isaac." He nods, but grins eagerly all the same when the engine cranks.

Alison grins too and asks, "Is there anything you can't do?" "Get an A on my own English papers." "What? Why? I always get A's when you help me." "Yeah, well, none of the rest of you have the same problem I have. Which is that I apparently write all of my papers with paragraphs that consist of only one sentence."

At her raised eyebrow, Nixie says to Alison, "What? I put in commas." Alison just laughs a little and says, "Come on. Let's get Isaac set." "Right."

He hops on the bike, and Alison takes his hands at the handles and says, "Pull back with your left hand. Kick down to put in gear. Front brake. Throttle. Back brake for stopping. And try not to crash."

Nixie doesn't miss how close those two got… or the grin that came across both of their faces. In spite of all the differences and fighting that had happened between the two… it seemed they would be alright and could be friends.

Possibly more than friends. Nixie wonders how Scott will feel about that. Not that he should be jealous since he and Alison aren't dating. But… still.

But not important right now. Isaac nods to the advice about not crashing, and then takes off into the school doors as Nixie opens them. Grinning as Alison comes up and sends the picture they took to Scott, Nixie asks, "How long do you think it'll take?" "One minute." "I was thinking thirty seconds." Alison grins and asks, "Bet you a dollar?" "Sounds good."

They both walk leisurely down the hallway, and then both smirk when they hear Aiden shout, "Get off my bike!"

They meet Scott in the hall, and then Isaac moves over to join them, all standing and watching as everyone steps out to see what the commotion is.

And though Nixie still doesn't like Ms. Blake, she grins when the woman says, "You have got to be kidding me! You realize this is going to result in a suspension."

Aiden and Ethan both look over at them, and then Aiden watches as Nixie lifts a dollar from her pocket and says, "You win. Took them over thirty seconds. I shouldn't have given them so much credit." Alison takes it smoothly from her and says, "Live and learn." "Right."

Nixie winks at Aiden, and then walks away with Alison while the boys head back to their locker rooms.

Alison hands back the dollar and says, "Here. I was kidding." "You sure? You won, fair and square." "I'm sure. Thanks anyway. You wanna come over for dinner later?" "I'll have to see how much other homework I have first." "You can always do it at my house." "True. Alright, why not? I'll see you later." "Awesome."

After Alison walks away, Nixie feels her phone ring. Pulling it out, she answers with, "Yeah Lydia? What's up?" "Nix! It happened again!"

Pulling her bag out of her locker, Nixie asks, "What happened?" "I ended up in a place without even realizing I was going there. I ended up in music class and didn't even realize it. Not until Danny came up to me and pointed it out. And the teacher's missing." "What do you mean missing?" "I mean there's chanting on a recording on his phone, and there's blood splatter on top of the cover for his piano keys. Nixie… I'm…" "Stay there, I'm coming."

On her way, Nixie calls Stiles, who says, "Hey, I can't talk right now." "Stiles, we've discussed that." "Right. Sorry. Never answer the phone that way. I'm with Deaton right now though, so…" "Great, bring him with you." "What? Where?" "To the school. Music class. Lydia did a thing again where she basically zoned out and walked somewhere without knowing it until she snapped out of it. And she says the teacher's missing. Well… more like taken. So yeah… get Deaton down here too."

* * *

"Can we get a copy of this?" As Lydia goes about sending a copy of the recording with the chanting on it to Deaton's phone, Nixie and Stiles search through the man's desk and papers for anything that might give them a connection between Kyle and this man. Stiles glances up and says, "Hey Doc. You know, any help would be… well, helpful." Deaton nods and says, "Each grouping of three would have its own purpose, its own type of power. Virgins, healers, philosophers, warriors…"

Nixie pauses on that one and says, "Wait. Warriors?" Stiles looks up at her and asks, "What are you thinking?" "Could that also mean soldier?" Both look to Deaton, who nods and says, "Absolutely." Nixie hands the picture she just found to Stiles, who then holds it up for the others and says, "He was a soldier. And Kyle was in ROTC with Boyd, we found that out earlier today."

Deaton nods and says, "That's gotta be it. That's the pattern. Where is he now?" Stiles shrugs, but then turns to ask Nixie, only to see that she's already on the phone. It rings three times, and then Nixie sighs when Boyd answers and asks, "Yeah Nixie?" "Are you at home?" "Yeah. Why?" "Okay, I just… I need you to stay there. Be on alert. And if anything… literally anything happens that makes you feel edgy or nervous, you call me. Immediately, do you understand?" "Yeah, okay. What's going on?" "We found a connection. Between the murders. Or… you know… potential murders."

Boyd asks, "What? I…" "Boyd, it's a long explanation right now. Just… text me every fifteen minutes until I tell you that you can stop, alright? Not much, just to let me know you haven't already been kidnapped or taken or anything like that. Alright?" "Yes ma'am." "Good. I'll call you later."

Hanging up, she then turns when she hears Lydia say to Deaton, "It's just… I thought of somebody else with a military connection." Stiles huffs and asks, "Who?" Lydia turns to him and says, "Mr. Harris."

Sighing, Nixie says, "Great. Now we have to go try and protect him too. Alright, let's go." Lydia blinks and asks, "What if he left already?" "The man never, I repeat, never, takes his work home with him. He'll stay here until midnight if it means not having to grade papers in his own house. He's here. Let's go."

But when they get to the classroom, he is indeed gone. Nixie and Stiles glance at each other, and then immediately go about pouring over his desk and papers, just like they had the music teacher's. Deaton looks over everything, and then says, "This is just one of several possibilities. He may have simply left for the day." Nixie stands up straight and asks, "Where were you five minutes ago when I explained that the man never… I repeat, never… leaves early with school work to do?"

She gestures to the many still ungraded papers and tests left on the man's desk, and then goes back to rummaging through the desk with Stiles. Then Stiles stands up straight and pulls out Mr. Harris' bag, saying, "Besides, I don't think he'd leave without this."

Nixie scans over the tests on the desk one more time, and then does a double-take before leaning closer. Deaton watches her a moment, and then asks, "What is it?" "It's… one of the tests is graded R. I didn't know that was a thing." Stiles comes to her side and says, "It's definitely not a thing."

Then Lydia holds up one and says, "This one's an H." Nixie makes a thoughtful noise in the back of her throat, and then says, "So he didn't fail as terribly as this one did. Splendid." Deaton raises an eyebrow at her, but Stiles responds for her, "Sarcasm. There is always time for sarcasm." He nods, and then Deaton asks, "What else is here?"

He takes over looking at the tests, and after he's taken a moment to put them in a specific order, he lifts his gaze and sighs forebodingly. Definitely not a good sign. Then he asks, "Stiles, you remember I told you 'druid' is the Gaelic word for 'wise oak'?" "Yeah." "If a druid went down the wrong path, the wise oak was sometimes said to have become a dark oak. There's a Gaelic word for that as well."

Nixie looks past him at the words on the table, and then asks, "D… dar… How do you pronounce that?" Deaton leans back and says, "Darach."

Sighing, Nixie says, "Well, that most definitely can't be good. Even sounds terrible. Funny how that works."

Lydia laughs slightly, and then turns to Nixie and asks, "By the way… why didn't you tell me about the twins?" Nixie blinks at that, and then says, "Well, because I just found that out today. And it seemed to be a thing you should hear in person, and I haven't seen you all day. Well, except for now. When you were already stressed out. I wasn't about to add to that… not until later."

Lydia nods, and then asks, "How do you do that? How do you just… know where I am and if I'm ready to hear something? Even with the GPS?" Nixie shrugs and says, "It's a gift. And a curse. Take your pick on which you believe. By the way, this isn't entirely my fault. You're supposed to be texting me every hour, especially if you want specifics on an 'as they arrive' basis." "I know. Sorry."

Nixie nods, and then says, "You're off the hook because Alison updated me about where you were throughout the day. She knows I'm worried about… this." She gestures as a whole to the fact that Lydia keeps finding dead and taken bodies. Then Nixie adds, "Next time though, I'm just gonna show up when you don't keep me up to date. And your mom, or werewolf boy toy, or whoever else you happen to be with is just going to have to deal with it."

Lydia grins and says, "They'll get over it, or I'll get rid of them." "Nice philosophy. I like it."

Then her phone rings again, and Stiles asks, "What is this? Call Nixie day? Every time I've seen you, your phone's been ringing." "Don't you know by now Stiles? I'm in high demand."

She answers and says, "Hey Isaac? What's…"

Nixie pauses as he speaks, and none of the other three try to stop her as she begins marching out of the room while shouting, "HE DID WHAT?!"

* * *

Cora wasn't sure what to make of the sudden pounding on the outside of the door. It wasn't hard enough to be that of a supernatural creature. But it certainly wasn't just someone knocking cordially on the door. Derek was still at his table, not moving. His eyes had lifted to the door briefly, and then closed before he started rubbing his temples.

Finally not wanting to hear the knocking anymore, Cora walks over the door and is about to open it when she hears the voice on the other side say, "Derek Hale, you open this door right now. If I have to pick it open before you get here, so help me, I will shove a whole barrel full of wolfsbane so far up your ass you'll…"

As the tirade continues, Cora glances back at Derek. He finally just nods, so Cora pulls the door to the side.

She remembers this woman vaguely, from images she remembers seeing the night she'd been out of control. Nixie looks up at her for a moment, and then asks in annoyance, "Who are you?" "I'm Cora. And Derek isn't…" "Derek will damn well see me, or I'll shove you both full of wolfbane and mountain ash."

Pushing past Cora, who stares at her in shock for a moment, Nixie then marches straight up to Derek's table and asks, "What the actual hell?" "Nixie… I can…" "How could you do that to Isaac?" "I'm protecting him!" "You threw a glass at him, and it shattered… just like his father had done to him before. Isaac already feels worthless half the time, and the other half of that time, he only doesn't feel worthless because we're all here to remind him that he's not and that he's ours. So excuse me, if the excuse, 'you were protecting him', is not enough of a damn explanation!"

Taking a moment to catch her breath, Nixie jams a finger down onto the table and says, "Explain. Explain it to me right now. And so help me, if you cannot come up with something a hell of a lot better than that one sentence reasoning, I will rip your throat out, with my teeth."

Derek stares at her for a moment, and then runs a hand through his hair and says, "Deucalion was here." "WHAT?!"

Derek gives her a rundown of exactly what happened, and then doesn't try to stop her when she rounds the table and lifts his shirt so she can see where the wound was that Kali had given him with the lead pipe. It was small and almost completely non-existent now; but still in the process of healing since it had been left in so long.

Nixie takes a moment to collect herself so she doesn't shout again, and then sighs and says, "So… he wants you to kill one of your own pack?" Derek nods, and then says, "Isaac and Boyd… neither of them can stay here. If I don't do it willingly, and I won't… they'll find a way to make it happen. I can't risk letting him stay here."

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie simply asks, "What about Cora?" "What about her?" "Does she need to go somewhere else?"

At Derek's confused look, Nixie sighs and says, "Now that you've actually explained it, I can see you thought it through. You knew Isaac would come to me." "Or Scott. Yeah, I knew." "And you knew we'd help him and give him a place to stay." "Yes."

Nixie glances at Cora, and then says, "We can help her too. If you need her to be somewhere else as well. She can stay at my place, since Isaac is staying with Scott." Derek tilts his head and asks, "He's not staying with you." "If it were temporary, sure, I'd let him stay. But as a permanent residence, the McCalls have more to offer and more space than I do. Isaac will be more comfortable there."

Derek nods, and then says, "Cora's blood. They don't want me to kill her. At least… she's not the first one they want me to kill. It's Boyd and Isaac we need to worry about." "Alright."

Nixie pokes him in the chest gently, and then says, "Don't do that again. Making me think you're trying to turn back into an asshole. You had me worried." Grinning slightly, Derek kisses the top of her head and says, "I apologize. I'll keep you posted." "Good."

As Nixie turns to leave, she pauses at Cora and asks, "And you're Cora Hale?" Cora nods, and then jumps in surprise when Nixie reaches out and wraps her up in a hug. Squeezing her tight, Nixie says, "I'm glad you're okay. Give me your phone."

Cora glances briefly at Derek, but at his smile and nod, she hands over her phone, and watches as Nixie inputs her number. Handing it back, Nixie says, "Rule is simple. Call me. For anything. If you don't, I'm gonna be pissed. Got me?" Cora nods, and then says, "Thanks. And… thanks for your help. You know… the night I was…" Nixie nods, and then shrugs and says, "That's what we do. And besides, when you're not wolfed out and trying to kill me… you look like someone who could be a friend someday."

Raising an eyebrow, Cora asks, "Not yet?" "We just met sweetheart. Give me a week before we step into that territory. Besides, you're not ready to handle having me as a friend yet. But don't worry. We'll get you there. Because I'm intense, but I'm awesome to have around once you get used to me. Ain't that right Derek?"

Derek simply chuckles and says, "Yes." "Good. Alright then. Goodnight all."

As she hops on her bike and speeds back towards Alison's for dinner, she sighs and says, "It's going to be a really long semester."

* * *

Chapter 4! Hopefully Chapter 5 will be easier to proofread and I can post that tonight as well. If not, tomorrow it is. Or... I'll try for that. If the internet breaks though, bear with me people. (Technology. So unreliable at times.)

Anyways, in the meantime, I thought I'd take a minute to throw in that, if you guys see any mistakes or anything that really bugs you, please let me know. I do proofread some and try to keep as many mistakes as I can out of these... but it seems to be inevitable that some still manage to slip through. But, if they don't bug you that much, then yay!

Hope you're enjoying the story so far! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

Again, just a heads up, there are flashbacks in this chapter as well. Two of them. Denoted the same way that it was in Chapter 3. Hopefully it's not too confusing that way.

Okay, sorry for interrupting. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5: Episode 3x5

Being in the car with Alison and Lydia right now is most definitely not the place Nixie wants to be.

It's a shocking thought. One that Nixie didn't really think she'd ever have. She loves these two as much as anybody she cares about. But after what just happened the other night… this is not where she wants to be.

She wants to be on the bus with Scott and Stiles, with Isaac and Boyd. She wants to drag Ethan's worthless ass down the aisle of the bus and throw him out the emergency door in the back and let one of the vehicles driving behind it trample him. Maybe, if enough cars actually run the dumbass werewolf over, it would kill him.

Alison, from the driver's seat, asks, "Am I getting too close? I'm getting way too close, aren't I?" Lydia hums in thought, and then says, "Depends. Are you just following the bus or are you planning on mounting it at some point?" "Yeah, I should back off." "Well, that also depends. Do you mean the bus or the ex-boyfriend you're currently stalking?"

Alison gives her a look and says, "Well, after what happened, I'm not letting him out of my sight. Right Nixie?"

Nixie had only been half listening to their conversation in the front. The rest of her mind was trying to calculate just how badly they were now fucked. Scott was hurt. That much she knew from the few text messages Stiles had managed to send her. Scott didn't want Nixie to worry so much, so he didn't want Stiles giving any overly gross details about his injury… but Stiles had managed to give her a summary and it wasn't good so far. He'd also informed her that Boyd and Isaac were sitting together further up in the bus, and while Isaac seemed content to listen to what Scott had said earlier about staying calm, Stiles was worried that Boyd wouldn't do that forever.

And Ethan kept looking back at them on occasion, which simply made Nixie's constantly bouncing right leg, bounce even more in aggravation. She needs to be there, with them, helping them handle the situation. Not here, in this stupid car, riding behind them where she can't actually be of any use to them.

Alison had been there last night to help… which is one of the only reasons that everyone made it out alive.

Well… not everyone. Nixie runs a hand over her face and mouth and glares out the window, plotting each individual and very painful death of every alpha in this alpha pack. Every single one of them that had hurt Derek. That had killed him.

When the girls in the front got no response, Lydia turns back to look at her and asks, "Nixie?" Snapping her gaze forward, meeting Lydia's curious one, Nixie leans forward briefly to look out the front windshield at the back of the bus. "I can't see them. Can you?" Alison looks to the bus, and then says, "Um… no." "Then we're not close enough."

And with that, she leans back, her leg goes back to bouncing, and she runs her hands through her hair again before pulling it back and securing it in a ponytail. Lydia looks back at her, and then throws a worried look at Alison. Neither of them had ever seen Nixie like this before. She was sitting in the middle of the backseat, one leg or the other in a continuous state of motion. Her hands were either in front of her mouth, folded so she was resting it on them, or running through her hair or down her legs in an effort to stave off some need to be doing more.

And her eyes had not lost their edge, not since last night. Alison knows, because she'd seen Nixie last night. And when they'd come to pick her up to take them with her this morning to follow the bus, she hadn't looked any different. In fact, she was still wearing the same clothes she'd been in last night.

Well… almost. Nixie had taken the time to carefully bandage the long mark that now rested beneath her left shoulder blade. The fight they'd gotten in was the first Nixie could say she felt truly a part of… where she wasn't just using herself as a human shield to protect someone else. Sure, against other humans, she had always been able to hold her own. No problems there.

But last night, she'd actually fought alongside Scott and Isaac. And she'd held her own. The master she'd been studying under all summer had taught her to use her short size to her advantage. And she was like a ninja.

(Flashback)

How the freakishly tall alpha had ended up being hers to fight was something Nixie has no clue about… but it worked to her advantage. He was huge and powerful… but he was also lumbering and oafish. He came at her like a bear or a bull, as though trying to simply run her over. That backfired instantly. She tucked and tumbled beneath him, tripping him up, and then had flipped back around and come at him with one of the Chinese ring daggers that was hidden up the sleeves of her jacket.

He hardly hit her at all. She got in more punches and slices and kicks than even she'd thought she would get to land on him. But… even she'd known things wouldn't end that perfectly. She was fighting a werewolf. Injuries were a hazard that she'd accepted as inevitable in her mind.

Two claws caught her right under her left shoulder blade when she was working to spin out of his reach. For once, she hadn't been quick enough. And they were deep injuries too. And the force from the blow not only tore through her skin, but pushed her and knocked her into the column to her left. She landed so hard that the wind was knocked out of her, and the alpha had then left her alone and gone after another one.

And eventually, after Derek. Or… actually, Derek came after him.

And then they'd both gone over the edge and landed on the old stairs a floor below.

If the tall alpha wasn't already dead… Nixie was going to kill him.

In any case, when she'd gotten home, rain having soaked through her hair and clothes, she hadn't paused to think about changing. She knew it would take her the rest of the night to patch herself up before anyone else would see it. And Scott was hurt way worse, and Derek was dead… no one needed to worry about the cut on her shoulder right now.

Okay, so not a cut. A gash. Two, in fact, that hadn't stopped bleeding until an hour before Alison arrived to get her. After that Nixie had put on an identical shirt to the one she'd been wearing before, and taken what little time she had left to patch the tear in her leather jacket. It wasn't a perfect job. She'd have to redo it when she had more time. But it would suffice so that, at least for now, no one would notice that there had ever been a hole in the first place.

(End Flashback)

Alison glances back at her, and then asks, "Nixie, are you okay?" Lifting her gaze to the rearview mirror, meeting Alison's eyes, she answers, "No offense, but that's a very dumb question right now."

No one speaks for a minute, and then Alison says, "I'm sorry it didn't work. The plan, I mean." Nixie nods slightly to that, and then they both hear her say quietly, "Shouldn't be surprised. When does any plan we ever have ever actually fucking work?"

The word 'fucking' is what made Alison and Lydia look at each other in even more concern. Nixie wasn't a saint. Not when it came to cursing anyway. She cursed at times and it wasn't a surprise. But that particular term, wasn't generally a part of her vocabulary. It had slipped one or two times on occasion that they'd heard… but other than that, the only time she said it…

Well… it was when she was exceptionally pissed. Like, pissed enough to finally not simply threaten to kill someone, but pissed enough to not even warn them. She would just go and do it, no glaring eyes and nor words or warning beforehand. She'd just go kill them.

Nixie supposes she should've known that it could never be that easy. A pre-emptive strike… of course someone might've already thought of that in the alpha pack. This blind Deucalion was a lot of things, and none of them were good in Nixie's opinion. But she'd give him this… he wasn't stupid.

(Flashback)

As she thinks back to the night that Scott had told her he knew where they were, in the penthouse a floor above the Argents, she wonders if there was anything they could've done differently to make their own plan work. She'd met him at Derek's loft that night, to try and tell them where the alphas were.

And that's when they found Derek, Peter, Cora, and Boyd together already, working on coming up with a plan to take out the alpha pack before they could do anymore real damage. Which, of course, meant killing them.

Which Nixie was on board with. Completely. Which is also why she will never be considered the alpha. Not that she could be anyway. She wasn't supernatural. But she was alright with needing to kill someone every now and again. She'd threatened it repeatedly and often, to people she'd grown to hate.

Scott, on the other hand, questioned them all by asking, "Why is the default plan always murder? Just once, can someone try to come up with something, that doesn't involve killing everyone?" Nixie's eyes had narrowed on Peter at the time, as he'd said, "You never get tired of being so blandly moral, do you?" But Peter then added, for Nixie's benefit, "Not that I disagree with him."

"Well, I do." Nixie turned to her left, where Cora was standing. She could understand the she-wolf's rage. The alphas had locked her up for months and turned her into a psycho werewolf the last full moon.

Didn't change the fact that Nixie's entire angry focus shifted to her as soon as Cora asked in distaste, "Why do we even need this kid?" Derek snapped his eyes to Nixie, already seeing the shift in attention, and then said, "This 'kid' helped save your life." Cora rolled her eyes, but then jumped, same as everyone else, when Nixie snapped, "Hey!"

Scott gently gripped her elbow and said, "Nix, it's alright. She…" Cora froze completely under the suddenly sharpened gaze of Nixie's eyes, and then physically flinched when Nixie said, "Our chances of becoming anything even close to friends… just shrunk drastically bitch." Turning to Derek, Nixie then commented, "Quite the lot, all of you. Asshole…" she pointed to Derek, "Sociopath…" she pointed to Peter, "and bitch. You're like the three anti-musketeers."

"Nixie!" She turned to Scott and asked, "What?" "I said it's alright." "And I disagree." "Nixie…" They stare at each other for a moment, and then Nixie sighs and says, "Fine. Switch sides with me. I'm not standing next to her." She moved to be on Scott's right, in between him and Boyd. She glanced at Boyd and asked, "You gonna say anything stupid?" "Sure hope not."

When Nixie smiled slightly at him, Boyd relaxed and placed a comforting hand against her back while the others went back to talking about the plan. Then, when Cora explained that they're going after Deucalion… just Deucalion, Boyd had said, "Cut off the head of the snake, and the body dies."

And though Nixie's eyes were still narrowed when she looked at him, she didn't argue with what Peter said as he commented, "Except this isn't a snake. It's a Hydra. And like Scott says, they're all alphas."

Derek cut in with, "Deucalion is still the leader." Peter gave him a look and said, "Let's hope so. Because you know what happened when Hercules cut off one head of the Hydra?" Nixie would've responded to that herself, but had then paused and grinned when Scott said, "Two more grew back in its place." Peter looked at him, and then glanced over at Nixie's proud face. Grinning himself, he'd said, "Someone's been doing their summer reading. Bravo."

When Scott and Nixie had prepared to leave afterwards, Scott had to turn back for her when Nixie froze in place. Cora had reached out, maybe thinking to grab onto her arm. Maybe to apologize. Maybe to complain about being called a bitch.

Whatever the reason had been, Cora froze the minute she met Nixie's cold, hard eyes again. Scott then gripped her elbow and said, "Come on Nix. Let's get out of here." As they moved up to the door, Nixie said, "She's lucky you're the alpha of this pack and not me. I'd have ripped her pretty little head off by now."

Which is when, down at the bikes, Scott had finally addressed something that had been nagging at the back of his head for a while. "Hey… Nix…" She'd paused in putting on her helmet, and then asked, "Yeah? What?"

It had taken him another moment to think about it, and then he'd simply sighed and said, "We need to talk about you… threatening people all the time." Frowning, Nixie said, "I don't do it all the time. I do it when they become a threat or nuisance to one of you people that are mine." "I know that. And I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate it. It means a lot, knowing I have those sharp eyes threatening people silently behind me, having my back."

Coming up to her side, gently cupping the side of her neck in his hand, he'd added, "Which is why I'm not asking you to stop with the eyes. They're powerful. Maybe even more powerful than my werewolf reflexes." Nixie had blushed a little at that and said, "Don't over exaggerate." Scott grinned, and then said, "But… maybe, could you cut back a little, on the verbal threats?" "Why?" "Because you're in my pack, if that's really what this is. And that's… I don't want the first option to always be killing someone. There has to be another way. A better way. You know that."

Nixie stared at him for a while that night, but then finally conceded by asking, "I can still threaten them in my head, right?" Chuckling, Scott kissed her forehead and said, "Yeah. Absolutely." "Fine. But be forewarned, if my patience is exceeded by any of these assholes, I reserve the right to go straight back to threatening them verbally." "Noted. I can live with that." "Good, now let's go back to your place and figure out what our plan is." "Our plan?"

And he'd laughed again when Nixie had put on her helmet, lifted the mask, and then simply said, "Yeah, our plan. You don't want to kill people, which means we have to work out how we're going to pre-emptively throw off their pre-emptive strike. We have to have a pre-pre-emptive strike. Try saying that ten-times fast. Hell, just try saying it five times fast."

(End Flashback)

At the time, Nixie had still felt her rule of, 'there's always time for sarcasm', still completely applied.

Now… she couldn't even come up with her own sarcastic response in her head… much less say it aloud to the other two.

They'd been sitting in silence for a while, until Lydia suddenly asks, "That whole, not letting him out of your sight thing? Was that literal or more like a general rule?" Alison glances over and asks, "Why?" "You're running on fumes."

Now that grabs Nixie's attention, but she's not as concerned as Alison is about it. Groaning in aggravation, Alison says, "No, what?!" Lydia nods and says, "Yeah, and I'm pretty sure that bus holds a lot more gas than this Toyota." Alison runs a hand through her hair and asks, "What if we stop?"

Lydia scoffs gently and says, "Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, so we lose them for a bit. We know where they're heading." Alison shakes her head and says, "You didn't see what happened."

"Well, I know who started it." Lydia said it more as an afterthought than anything else. But as soon as it left her mouth, she felt… literally felt, Nixie's head snap to look in her direction. Sighing, she adds, "Nix, I just mean…"

But when she turns to glance back at Nixie, Nixie's head is already stuck up between the seats, blue eyes wide and far more pissed and angry than Lydia had been prepared to deal with. Whatever she'd been about to say dies in her throat.

Nixie stares at her so long without saying anything, Alison worries that Nixie might actually be thinking about punching Lydia in the face or something. But eventually, Nixie settles back into her seat, and then says, "There's a truck four vehicles back that's carrying three tanks of gasoline in the truck bed. If we have to pull over, I'll hop out and hail him, and he'll give us some gas. He has a nice face, he won't mind."

Alison nods, and then glances over at Lydia and shakes her head. Lydia looks between the two of them for a moment, and then asks, "What? Aiden? He's not here right now. He…" She pauses, and then says, "Whoa, hold on a minute? Is that why you invited me on this whole little road trip thing?" When neither respond, Lydia says, "Oh my gosh. You're keeping an eye on them, and me."

Nixie doesn't answer, but Alison goes ahead and asks, "So there's nothing going on between you two?" Lydia, feeling a little bit better, thinking that Nixie was definitely behind the invite to come along on this trip, says, "I'm appalled by the insinuation." Alison simply asks again, "Nothing?" "Oh my God. Nothing!"

But as she's tracing her lips with her lipstick again, she nearly drops it when Nixie says through her teeth, "You're lying."

Alison glances back at her, and then to Lydia who is also glancing back at Nixie. But Nixie, so angry, can't even bring herself to look at Lydia right now. So she just glares at the floor beneath her feet, mumbling to herself while bouncing her left leg now, even faster than before. Lydia looks over at Alison, and then says, "Look… Aiden is…"

Nixie's head snaps up so fast that Lydia jumps back towards the door on her side. Through her teeth, Nixie says, "Derek is dead. Scott is hurt. And before this shit is over, Aiden and the rest of his pack are going to try and kill Isaac, Boyd, Cora, and a lot of other people. He has, literally, no defense. So do not try to defend him, or so help me, I'll start slapping you in the back of the head too."

Leaning back in her seat again, hands folded and pressed tightly to her mouth, both legs bouncing at the same time now, she jerks when Alison suddenly has to stop due to the traffic pile up.

Lydia is about to glance back again, to tentatively ask if Nixie would maybe like a snack bar or something. That's when Nixie's phone rings. Picking it up and swiping to answer, she asks, "What?"

Silence for a moment, and then Isaac asks, "Nixie?" "Hey Isaac. What's wrong?" "Um… well, nothing yet. I just… Boyd almost did something. Maybe would've tried to kill Ethan. But Scott stopped him. I just… wanted to see if you knew why Scott was still hurt?"

Rubbing a hand over her head, Nixie says, "I know he's still hurt. I don't know why. How bad is it?" "I'm not sure. He was bleeding still and it's stained his shirt." "What does the blood look like?" "What do you mean?" "Is it all red, or is it black?" Isaac pauses to think, and then says, "Maybe a combination of both. I'm not sure. I only saw his shirt. He's back in his seat now."

Nixie nods, and then says, "Hand the phone to Boyd." It exchanges hands, and Boyd asks, "Yeah Nixie?" "If you do anything right now that puts Scott, Stiles, Isaac, or yourself in anymore danger than you're already in, I'm gonna slap you in the back of the head. I love you dearly, I'm sure you know that by now. But I do not tolerate just plain and total stupidity. Understand?"

A pause, and then he says, "Yes ma'am. Nixie? Are you okay?" "No. But given what we've been through recently, I don't think anyone can really answer that question with a confident 'yes'. If anyone does, let me know. I'll slap them in the back of the head first." Boyd chuckles slightly, and then says, "Yes ma'am. You wanna talk to Isaac again?" "Sure."

It takes longer this time for the phone to be given back to Isaac, and she can hear them both whispering in the background. Then Isaac's voice asks, "Nixie, what's wrong? Boyd says he can hear how tense you are in your voice." "Everything is wrong right now Isaac. Literally nothing is okay. And I am exceptionally unhappy about the fact that you are all on a bus and I am stuck here in traffic behind you, basically useless if you do happen to need me." She pauses to take a breath, and then says, "Don't worry about me. Keep an eye on Scott. And if Boyd starts to do something stupid again, call me. Okay?" "Okay Nix." "Good. I'll see you later."

She hangs up after that, shoves the phone back in her jeans pocket and goes back to bouncing her legs and pressing against her mouth. Talking to Isaac and Boyd had calmed her slightly. Hearing them made the fact that they were still okay more real for her.

But Scott was still hurt, and judging on Isaac's words… he wasn't getting better. If anything, he was getting worse. And just because nothing terrible had happened yet, didn't mean it wouldn't happen sometime soon. And it's these thoughts that cause Nixie, with every passing second they sit in traffic, to become edgier. Scott wasn't healing, Boyd nearly got them all killed on a damn bus, Derek was dead…

The sudden gasp for air from the backseat made both Alison and Lydia jerk. Turning to look back, Lydia's eyes widen as Nixie's whole body starts visibly shaking. Shaking her head from side to side, Nixie glances up at Alison and says, "I need to step out. Just… honk when you want me back in."

She practically throws herself out of the vehicle, and then begins pacing up and down the length of the car. Stopping next to her door and leaning against it, hands braced on the car, pushing against it to try and work out some of her pent up tension and anxiety, she glances over when she hears the front door open.

Lydia steps out and asks, "Nixie. What's…" "Don't… just… not now Lydia. I can't right now." "Nixie! I didn't…" Standing up straight, Nixie says, "Look, I get that you and one of the wonder twins are 'secretly' together. Alright? I told you I didn't like them when they first arrived, but I also told you that it was your decision to make. It's not my place to tell you what to do about him or with him or… anything. But I… Can… Not… handle you defending him right now. Do you understand?"

Lydia pauses for a moment, and then nods and says, "Okay. I understand. Can I ask you something else now?" "What?" Lydia waits until she sees a bit of the gentleness return to Nixie's eyes, and then she asks, "What's wrong? I've seen you edgy before… but never like this. What's…" "Scott's still hurt."

Sighing and leaning against the side of the car, Nixie shakes her head and says, "He's not healing… not like he's supposed to. And if Isaac's right… he's not just not healing… his condition is actually getting worse. The blood appears to be turning black. Like… it's like…"

Lydia puts a hand to her mouth as she catches onto what Nixie is implying. It was like Scott was dying.

Dark storm clouds seem to be rolling in now, and Lydia doesn't recall the weather forecasting anything but sunny skies for the next week. But as the idea of Scott dying… actually dying, starts to take a more prominent place in Nixie's mind… tears begin welling up in her eyes. Shaking her head, she says to Lydia, "I… I can't…"

She can't actually say it. She can't make her voice form the words. But then she looks up when Lydia says softly, "You can't lost him." Nixie stares at her for a moment, and then nods before adding, "I won't. And if I do then, so help me, hell will seem like a merciful place to be when I'm finally finished with this alpha pack. I… I will not lose him." Lydia nods and says, "Hey. Back inside, alright? Back inside."

Alison glances back as Lydia puts Nixie back in the car. Then Lydia runs around to the other side and slides in next to Nixie. Scooting over and putting her arms around Nixie, Lydia says, "You won't lose him." "You don't know that." "Listen to me Nixie. You won't lose him."

Nixie entire body shakes again as she breathes out one long breath. Then she settles her head onto Lydia's shoulder. Hugging her back, she says, "If he dies, I'm gonna lose it. We already lost Derek. I can't…" "I know. You won't. The universe is a bitch, I'll give you that. But it wouldn't be so cruel as to steal two people from you in a row. It's smarter than that."

Alison glances back at the front as some rain hits the windshield. But at least the thunder has stopped. It's just rain.

They sit there for a while in silence. Alison glances back occasionally to see if anything's changed, but Lydia is still just holding Nixie in her arms. The rain stops eventually, giving way to more sunshine. The weather today was being seriously weird.

Then Nixie says softly, "I'm sorry." Lydia hushes her and says, "It's okay." "No… no, it's really not. I mean… your alpha-twin, boy-toy is an ass. I'm not wrong about that." Lydia smiles a little and says, "Okay." "But… I know you care about us. And I know if it comes down to it… you're on our side. I do know that." "I know. And it's okay. It really is."

Leaning back, Lydia brushes some of the tears from Nixie's face, and then says, "Here. Put your jacket back on. You're freezing." "I'm fine. If anything, I feel too hot." Lydia frowns at that, and then says, "Why didn't you say so?" "Why would I?" Alison glances in the rearview mirror and says, "Because we've had the heat on since we started this trip. The temperature on the dash says it's barely reaching fifty in here. But if you're hot, we can turn it down."

Blinking, Nixie asks, "How is it only fifty in here? We're in California. In the south. It's hot everywhere." Alison shrugs and says, "Beats the hell out of me."

Nixie turns to Lydia again, and then smiles a little when Lydia asks, "So… we're good?" "Yeah. We're awesome. Can't you tell?" Laughing, Lydia says, "I wasn't sure. I mean… I know you haven't officially lost it yet. How you're still holding everything together given all that happened… I don't even know how either of you are doing it. But… I've also never seen you so stressed." "Yeah, well… Scott's life has never been quite this close to such mortal danger before. Soon as he's out of the woods, I'll get back to my old self." "Good. I can only handle so much 'upset Nixie'. It's weird." "Tell me about it."

And then Lydia and Alison both laugh when Nixie says, "So… now that we've established that, while on the verge of losing my shit, I am still, at the moment, totally put together; and that the universe isn't stupid enough to steal two people from me in the same day… I think I'd like to eat a protein bar now. Or you know, twenty. I haven't eaten all day, and this worrying about all you people has worked up quite an appetite. Why are you laughing? I'm serious."

* * *

Nixie doesn't want to know how Stiles finally got Coach to pull the bus over. She doesn't care. All that matters right now, is that Scott isn't healing… and he is, in fact, getting worse… and they need to do something to fix it quick.

Leaving Scott by the sink on the ground for the moment, the four of them huddle and Alison says, "This shouldn't be happening. He's healed from worse than this." Nixie nods and says, "Much worse." Stiles huffs and asks, "Okay, what do we do then? Do we call an ambulance?" Alison asks in response, "What if it's too late? What if they can't help?" Nixie glances back at Scott, and then snaps her attention back to Lydia when she says, "You know… it could be psychological."

Lydia turns to Nixie when she asks, "How?" "Somatoformic." Stiles blanches at that and asks Lydia, "So… what?" "A physical illness from a psychogenic cause." Stiles looks about to blow a fuse, but Nixie simply says, "For those of us who didn't swallow a dictionary, Lydia? English?" "Yes. It's all in his head."

Nixie glances back at Scott again, and then says, "Because of Derek." Stiles sighs, "He's not letting himself heal because Derek died." Running a hand through her hair, Nixie says, "Great. And I thought I was the one having mental issues today." Stiles gives her a look at that, clearly saying he'll be coming back to that later. Then he turns to Alison when she asks, "So what do we do?"

Lydia digs around in her purse, and then comes back with a thread and needle kit and says, "Stitch him up." Alison looks skeptical, but Lydia looks to Nixie when she asks, "How does that help?" Holding out the kit, Lydia says, "Because it'll make it more real. Maybe all he needs to do is just believe it's healing." Nixie stares at the kit a moment longer, and then says, "Alright. Let's do it. Give it here." But Stiles grabs her shoulder and says, "No, you need to watch the door. No one else is coming in here if you glare them away. Let Alison stitch him up. She knows how. Me and Lydia can work on getting him another shirt and making sure the bus doesn't leave without us."

They leave her standing at the door, and though a few of the other students look like they might be coming towards them… no one dares to make it within ten feet of Nixie and the door she's guarding.

When the door opens behind her several minutes later, Nixie turns around to see Alison… with Scott leaning heavily against her. Quickly slipping his bag from his shoulder and then sliding beneath his other arm, Nixie says, "Don't you dare ever do that to me again."

Scott chuckles a little, still slightly pained, and then says, "Yes ma'am." "And stop calling me ma'am. Everyone. It's getting annoying."

Lydia runs up to them and asks, "Is he okay?" Nixie nods and says, "Good thinking." Lydia smiles a little, and then takes Scott's bag from Nixie so she can better help hold him up. Lydia then reminds them, "And maybe this is a bad time, but we still don't have gas."

Nixie nods and says, "Perfect time actually. Reminds us that it's now or never." Lydia frowns in confusion and asks, "Now or never for what?" "On deciding whether we're sticking with Scott and ditching the car, or whether we're going to linger here and get gas and risk losing the bus for a while." Alison looks over at her, and then says, "Let me guess. You're definitely getting on the bus." "Hell yes." "Me too. We're not leaving him."

Lydia looks between the two of them as they walk, and then finally sighs and says, "Screw it. We'll get it later. I'll go grab the keys." Nixie smiles and says, "Awesome." And after she's gone, Alison asks, "You still pissed at her any?" "Oh, a very minute amount. But I at least have complete faith that, if it comes down to it, Lydia will pick us over her alpha boyfriend. I can live with that for now." "Good."

When they meet up with Stiles though, standing on the edge of the scene unfolding before them, Scott asks in concern, "What happened?" Stiles turns to him, sighs in a brief moment of relief, and then says, "Uh… he just went after him. I told him what was happening with you, and he just went after him." "Who, Boyd?!"

But it wasn't Boyd. As Scott took off on his own, most of his strength returning, they came to find that it was Isaac. And he was beating the ever-living crap out of Ethan.

Nixie couldn't help grinning at the scene, even as Isaac shoved Danny aside so he could keep on punching Ethan in the face.

Scott glances at her, and then says, "Nixie, stop him." "Me?! Why me?!" "He listens to you!" Nixie gives Scott a look, and then says, "Remember in the hall outside the stock room? Remember how he was struggling on the ground and wasn't about to quit?" Scott nods, and then grows thoughtful when Nixie says, "Well… I certainly wasn't the one who stopped him then. That was you. All you."

Nodding to Isaac, she says, "Besides… he's not trying to kill Ethan because I'm hurt. He's doing that because he thinks you're dying. So… show him you're not."

Scott takes a moment more to think about it, and then pushes his way to the front of the group and shouts, "Isaac!"

The punching stops instantly, and as Isaac slowly turns and straightens back into a standing position, everyone else remains still and quiet. Isaac looks over Scott, a look of relief coming over his face to see him standing on his own, and from the looks of it, no longer bleeding and dying. Scott nods to him gently, and then as Danny tends to Ethan, Isaac moves to join the others as they start heading back for the bus.

Danny chances a glance up at Nixie, who is still looking down at the scene. Shooting a look at Isaac, he says, "One of your new boys has some serious anger issues." Nixie tilts her head at Danny, and then says, "Yeah… but I'm not really any better. More contained, for sure. But… well, I can't really say I'm disappointed."

At Danny's confused expression, Nixie simply says, "Be careful Danny. Just… be careful."

Then she joins the others on the bus, taking a seat across the aisle from Stiles and Lydia. And as Danny and Ethan get back on the bus… neither of them dares to sit anywhere near the others.

Stiles then says, "Alright, let's go over this again. So it's the sacrifices, right? Everything has to do with them and someone who thinks he's, like, a dark druid of some kind." Lydia nods and says, "Or actually is a dark druid." Both glance over at Nixie when she says, "A Darach."

Lydia sighs, and then says, "You know… some ancient cultures sacrificed people in preparation for battle." Stiles ponders that a moment, and then says, "So we got Alpha werewolves against a dark druid." "Yeah." Nixie runs a hand through her hair and says, "And us, somehow caught smack dab in the middle, once again."

Nixie then glances back at Alison and Scott, and listens in soon enough to catch Scott saying, "But remember that whole thing we talked about? Where I wasn't accusing you of being there, and if you were there, then you shouldn't be?" Alison nods that she remembers, and then grins when Scott says, "Thanks for not listening."

Alison nods her appreciation of the thanks, and then when Scott asks what she's still looking at, Alison simply says, "I'm just looking at your eyes."

Nixie doesn't comment… but she knows why. Nixie had still been on the ground at the time… still getting her breath back… when she'd seen it. Scott and the tall alpha rammed into each other, and Scott, who should've been a considerably weaker werewolf… somehow managed to throw the alpha off balance. Scott actually held his own.

And when he'd looked back up… Scott's eyes had been red. Bright and glowing red.

They'd quickly gone back to being yellow… but Nixie hadn't forgotten, and neither had Alison apparently. But, that was a problem that was going to have to wait for another day. First, they needed to survive this trip, and they needed to get a report from back home, either from Melissa or Deaton, on if there had been any other casualties of note.

Alison looks over at Nixie, sees the gears and calculations being made in her head. Reaching over for her hand, Alison then smiles and says, "Hey, look at the bright side." Lifting her head, Nixie asks, "What's that?" "Well, you're back to a normal temperature now. Not too hot or too cold. Just right."

Smiling, Nixie says, "Yeah. Progress." "It is a grand thing."

* * *

And that's Chapter 5! Yay!

Another heads up, just for the sake of keeping you informed. The internet here, is going in and out at this point. We're getting in-climate weather here that is supposed to last all night and all day tomorrow. So, if Chapter 6 isn't up tomorrow, or sooner... well, now you know why.

As always, I hope you are enjoying the story and how Nixie plays her part. Hopefully Chapter 6 will follow very soon. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

 **Warning:** And I mean, like, a serious one this time. This is the episode of Teen Wolf where, even compared to all the other traumatic stuff that's happened in previous episodes, this is the one that MTV put a warning in front of, warning certain viewers to stay away and not watch. And that's what this is. This is the episode that deals with suicide, and thoughts of suicide. Very serious situations. Now, as I'm an optimistic person and don't enjoy dwelling on thoughts such as this, I don't think what I've written here is quite as severe as it would've appeared if you actually watched the episode. But the ideas and thoughts, however muddled by my writing, are still there.

Anyone, **literally anyone** , who might be uncomfortable reading about something like that, please do not read this chapter. Not any of it. I'm not even going to give you a cut off point where it should be safe for you to quit reading and move on to the next chapter. Just move on and don't even start this chapter. If you're okay reading about that kind of stuff, then I do hope you enjoy what I tried to do with this. But if not... please, please, please, please, skip this one and move on to Chapter 7 when it gets posted.

I am not sorry for this interruption. I hope you have read my warning and take it seriously before you continue reading past this point.

* * *

Chapter 6: Episode 3x6

When they pulled into the motel and exited the bus, Scott's first response was an optimistic, "I've seen worse."

To which Stiles countered immediately, "Where have you seen worse?" Nixie shrugs and says, "Pretty sure my apartment complex looks more worn down than this place. But… I suppose only time will tell. In any case, it's not like we have a choice." Scott nods and adds, "Might as well make the best of it." Stiles gives them both a look and says, "You know what… this overly optimistic thing is annoying me now."

Scott chuckles while Nixie says, "Yeah, well, I spent all day being an overly pessimistic individual. Have to make up for it tonight. I'm supposed to be the one making you guys smile all the time, and I think I scared Alison and Lydia with how overly unhappy I was behaving." Scott puts an arm around her shoulders and says, "Which is partly my fault. Sorry about that." "Just don't almost die on me again." "I'll do my best." "Good."

Coach briefly explains to them that they have to spend the night here since the lacrosse meet was pushed to tomorrow, and then starts handing out room keys for everyone. And even though they weren't supposed to be there, he managed to also grab a room for the three girls. Looking to Nixie, he says, "I couldn't get but one extra one. You three mind sharing?" Nixie shakes her head and says, "We're good. Thanks Coach."

As she and Alison begin heading in, they look back to see Lydia still standing where they'd been before. Frowning, Nixie asks, "Lydia?"

She looks to Nixie, and then says, "I don't like this place." Nixie's frown deepens while Alison says, "I don't think the people who own this place, like this place. It's just for a night. Come on." Lydia watches as Alison moves on, but then looks back to Nixie, who is still waiting on her with a worried expression.

Lydia's only response is, "A lot can happen in one night." Nixie nods and says, "Yeah. I have no doubt about that. In fact, based on the previous night I was just a part of, I'd say I'm basically evidence that the statement you just made is completely and terrifyingly accurate." Moving closer and taking Lydia's arm in hers, Nixie says, "But we're together. And like Scott said earlier… there's safety in numbers. Plus, I'm here. Anything wants to touch you, it has to go through me."

Lydia nods, but adds, "I'm not worried about me. I… I feel… I feel kind of like I do before I find a dead body." Nixie freezes for a moment, and then says, "Alright. Well… Alison and I will keep an eye on you. You can't wander off if we all stick together. Right?" "Right. Thanks." "Sure thing. I do have to first check in with the boys… but I'll be right behind you guys. Sound good?" "Yeah. Sounds good."

* * *

In the boys' motel room, Nixie raises an eyebrow when Scott asks Stiles, "Four? You have four suspects?" "Yeah. It was originally ten. Well… technically nine. I had Derek on their twice." Scott chuckles and asks, "So… who's first? Mr. Harris?" Stiles nods and says, "Just because he's missing doesn't mean he's dead."

Scott nods, but then they both look up when Nixie asks, "So… if he's not dead, our chemistry teacher is out secretly committing human sacrifices?" Stiles ponders that a moment, and then says, "Yeah, I guess that just sounded way better in my head." Nixie nods, and then adds, "Granted, stranger things have happened. But I don't exactly see Mr. Harris as the 'human sacrifice' type. Plus, to our knowledge, no one else has gone missing by now, which means that, most likely, Mr. Harris is the third sacrifice of the 'warriors' category."

Stiles sighs and says, "Which means we're going to end up back at square one, as far as what the connection is, when we find another dead body." Nixie nods and says, "Anyways, moving on. Suspect two?" Scott jumps in and asks, "Well, what if it's somebody else from school? Like, remember Matt? We didn't know he was killing people."

Stiles stands up instantly and says, "Um… excuse me? I'm sorry, what? I… yes we did… I called that from day one, actually. Plus, Nixie never liked him. Definite a point in my category on being correct on that front." Scott sits up and says, "Yeah, but we never really, seriously thought that it was Matt." Stiles flails and says, "I was serious! I was quite serious, actually! Deadly serious! No one listened to me! Except you…"

He points over at Nixie, who nods in agreement, and then, to get them back on topic, says, "But… back to this year and its current problems. Stiles, who are the other three suspects?" Stiles immediately jumps in with, "Derek's sister… Cora. No one knows anything about her, and she's Derek's sister."

Nixie crosses her arms and says, "Being Derek's sister doesn't merit her being a suspect… but you're correct on the first one. We don't know anything about her. Plus, she was very rude and ungrateful towards Scott. So… yeah, I'm cool with that." Stiles points to Nixie, as though that validates Cora being considered suspicious, and then says, "And Nixie doesn't like her. That's…"

Nixie quickly backtracks though and says, "No… I didn't say I didn't like her. I… don't exactly like her right now. But that's completely because she was rude to Scott. I have no other reason for not liking her. I didn't look at her and instantly feel like she was a threat or anything. This sixth sense you seem to think I have, didn't go off and set off any alarms at her presence. I just… don't like her for the way she treated Scott."

Stiles rolls his eyes and says, "Okay, anyway. Moving on. The next one is Deaton, your boss, Scott." Scott blinks and asks, "My boss?" Stiles nods and says, "Yeah, your boss. I don't really like the whole Obi-Wan thing he's got going on, you know? Freaks me out."

When Scott just sits there without comment, utterly confused by what Stiles just said, Nixie lets her head fall into her hand while Stiles asks, "Oh my God. Have you still not seen Star Wars?" And then Nixie laughs when Scott says, "I swear, if we make it back alive, I will watch the movie." Stiles turns to Nixie and says, "Oh, shut up. All our time spent watching Clint Eastwood and Grey's Anatomy. He could've at least watched the first Star Wars, like, a billion times by now."

Nixie shrugs and says, "Let's not get carried away. Besides, when it comes down to it, Clint Eastwood will trump Star Wars, hands down, any day." Stiles gapes at her, and then says, "You're crazy." "Not new information Stiles. In any case. Continue." Scott nods and says, "Yeah. Who's the last suspect?"

And though he obviously doesn't want to say it, Stiles sighs and says, "Lydia." Nixie straightens up from leaning against the door and asks, "What?" Stiles nods and says, "I know… I know. But… she was completely controlled by Peter last year… and she had no idea. So…"

They sit in silence for a while, and then Stiles looks to Nixie and says, "Unless… unless you really think it couldn't be her." Nixie lifts her gaze to his, and then looks to Scott. Then she says, "I… don't think it's her." Scott nods, and then asks, "Why?" "Because this isn't like last year. Lydia told me what that felt like and what she experienced. She didn't just end up places without having any idea how or why. Peter led her there. She saw him… or a younger version of him… in her head. That's how he manipulated her. And he threatened all of us… which is how he got her to do what he wanted in the end."

Shaking her head, Nixie says, "Lydia literally has no idea where she's going or what she's doing… not until she's already smack in the middle of what it is she's finding. So no… I don't think it's her. Something is definitely going on with her… but it's not this."

Stiles relaxes a little, and then sighs and says, "So… I guess I only have three suspects." Scott nods, and then looks to Nixie and asks, "You staying with Alison and Lydia tonight?" "Yeah." "Keep us posted. You need anything, just holler." "Of course."

* * *

After getting a snack with Lydia, switching out the towels, and meeting the creepy lady that apparently was the manager of this equally creepy motel, they return to their room where Lydia says, "Literally, the sooner we leave, the better." Nixie nods and says, "Agreed." Alison steps out of the shower and asks, "Why? What happened now?" Nixie sighs and says, "Oh nothing. We just discovered that we are staying at, literally, the most morbid motel in all of California. Possibly the whole country. I wouldn't be surprised."

Lydia explains about how this motel has had the most guest suicides in all of California. One-hundred and ninety-eight. 'And counting', as the creepy manager had said before. Stepping out and slipping a shirt on, Alison asks, "All suicides?" Lydia nods and says, "Yes. Hanging, throat-cutting, pill-popping, both barrels of a shotgun in the mouth… suicides. And I don't know about you guys… but me, I…"

Nixie had been about to go into the bathroom. She needed to check her shoulder and possibly put on a new bandage and check the stitches. But before that, Lydia asks, "Do you hear that?" Pausing and coming back, looking to Alison, who shrugs in confusion as well, Nixie asks, "Hear what Lydia?"

Lydia doesn't answer. Instead she stands up on the bed, moving closer and closer to the vent. Alison continues to ask what's wrong, but Lydia just keeps getting more and more worried… until suddenly she lets out a short scream before backing away. She nearly backs off the bed… but Nixie catches her and sets her on her feet.

"Didn't you hear that?" Nixie grips both of her shoulders and demands, "Hear what? Lydia… what did you hear?" "The two people in the other room! They shot each other!"

Nixie is… confused beyond belief by that. Lydia had obviously heard people talking before that. Nixie can understand why she maybe wouldn't have heard that. She'd been on the opposite side of the room from Lydia. But gunshots? Nixie definitely would've heard that.

In fact… if you accounted for her always exceptional hearing, Nixie should've heard the people talking too… and she'd still heard nothing out of the ordinary.

Lydia sprints from the room to go to the next one, desperate to see if the people she heard were actually dead. Nixie and Alison gave each other a look, and then took off after her. But the room they went into… it was empty.

Well, not empty. It was being renovated, and there was a bunch of leftover equipment and scaffolding in the room. But no bed… no furniture… and certainly no people trying to kill themselves.

Nixie and Alison look at each other again as Lydia scans the room, possibly even more confused than they were. Shaking her head, Lydia says, "It had to be right here. It was a guy and a girl… and they sounded younger, but… They were here."

It's not lost on Nixie that Lydia has the same look in her eyes that she had before. The one she'd had last year, before she'd confessed to Nixie that she thought she might be losing her mind… going crazy. Shaking her head, Nixie says, "Lydia, do not…" "But there's nothing…" "Then maybe there was. At some point in time… maybe there was."

Lydia stares at her and then asks, "Then how do I…" "I don't know. I don't know how you know that. I don't know why you heard it. I don't know." Stepping closer to her, Nixie says, "But you are not going crazy. We've discussed this. You're not allowed." "But you didn't hear it." "But I believe that you did. That's enough for me."

"And me." They both turn to Alison, who joins them and says, "After everything we've been through Lydia, I believe you. We both do." Lydia relaxes slightly, and then sighs and says, "I just… don't understand." Nixie nods and says, "We'll figure it out. Somehow."

As Lydia goes back to looking around the room, Nixie turns to Alison and says, "I need to go take a shower and wash up. I'll check the vent to see if it was even open. Bring her back when you can, alright?" "Alright."

Back in their room, Nixie checks the vent. And yeah, it is open. But that still wouldn't explain what Lydia heard. Just because the vent is actually open, doesn't change the fact that there couldn't have been anyone else in the room next to them.

Sighing, Nixie hops into the shower and washes off the previous two days from her body. Her shoulder stings, but it's bearable.

She's putting on a new bandage in the bathroom, when Alison knocks and then steps in while saying, "Lydia is hell bent on leaving this place. Maybe I should actually call my dad and…"

Alison freezes up seeing the few blood stains on the sink, and on seeing Nixie trying to quickly put a shirt back on. Quickly stepping forward, Alison snags the shirt and then forces Nixie to turn around.

She brings a hand up to cover her mouth when she sees the new scar on her shoulder. "Oh my God. Nixie…" "It's not as bad as it looks. It's only bleeding a little because I took a shower. I'm fine." "Nixie, you were hurt. Why didn't you tell…" "Scott didn't need to know. In case you forgot, he was very close to dying himself. Last thing he needed to worry about was me."

But as Nixie swipes the bandages from the sink, Alison sees her chest in the mirror. Gasping and catching Nixie's elbow, she forces Nixie to turn and face her. Sighing, Nixie says, "Just… don't. Alright? I'm fine." "What happened?!"

Nixie hushes her and says, "Lydia will hear you!" "Then tell me what happened!" Nixie stares at her for a moment, and then sighs and turns away to look in the mirror. Then back to Alison, she says, "The… the really tall alpha clipped me beneath my shoulder blade. That's all." "And your chest?" "That's much older. It's not…" "But it happened after what Peter did to you. I remember that one and this one wasn't here when I helped take care of that. So who…"

Nixie can see the moment Alison figures it out in her head. A horrified look comes over her face and she says in a whisper, "Gerard. He… he did that to you? He… oh my God. What did he… when you were in the basement?! He…" "Hey! Keep it down. Lydia will…"

Alison reaches out to gently trace the scar, and then says, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. If I'd… if I'd known I would've never…" "Hey. Look at me." Alison meets her eyes, and Nixie says sternly, "This is not your fault." "I was helping him!" "Helping him hunt werewolves, yeah. And you were wrong in that fact. But this…" Nixie points to the scar on her chest and says, "This is not your fault. He did this. Or… you know… one of his men. They were wearing masks, so I can't be sure."

Turning back to the sink, Nixie sighs and says, "Just… look, don't tell anybody, alright?" "Nixie, they need to…" "Alison, they don't need to know. I'm fine. The world isn't going to end because I got scratched a few times. It might end though, if we don't figure out how to stop these alphas, and this demented thing called a Darach."

Back to Alison, Nixie says, "That's the mission right now. That is our main goal. And so long as these injuries aren't going to kill me any time soon… we can leave them for later. So… just keep it to yourself."

Silence for a moment, and then Alison asks, "No one else knows?" "No. Well… Boyd knows about the scar on my chest. He and Erica were there when it happened. But he won't tell anybody. I already made him promise."

Nixie reaches back behind her to work on putting a new bandage beneath her shoulder blade. That's when Alison moves and says, "Here. Let me." She takes over working on the wound, and then says, "I won't tell them. But you have to promise me something." "What's that?" "You'll tell me. When you get hurt… you'll tell me. At least… eventually. Promise me that?"

Alison is nearly done with the bandage when Nixie finally says, "I promise." "Good. Now… put your shirt back on and let's go figure out how we're going to convince Lydia to stay. Or the boys to leave with us. One way or the other though, we all need to stick together." "Agreed."

* * *

Investigating what had happened to the couple next door was the thing that currently kept them here. And as they approach the manager's office again to try and talk to the creepy woman, Lydia sighs and says, "Well, there goes that. Sign says she won't be back until six in the morning." Nixie nods and says, "Well, maybe we can find somebody else. A night janitor or something, you know? Let's…"

Alison grips her elbow and says, "Guys. Didn't you say the sign said, one-ninety-eight?" Lydia and Nixie both look to the number on the back wall. And sure enough, where one-ninety-eight had been, the number was now two-hundred and one. Lydia turns back to Alison and says, "It was one-ninety-eight. I swear to God it was one-ninety-eight. Nixie…"

Nixie just nods and says, "Oh, it was definitely one-ninety-eight." Alison looks between them and asks, "Okay, but what does that mean? That there's been three more suicides?" Nixie and Lydia look at each other, and then Lydia says, "Or three more are about to happen."

They all look back to the number for a moment, and then Nixie says, "We need to check on the boys. Lydia, text Stiles and tell him that he and Scott need to get down here. Now." Lydia brings out her phone, but pause when Alison says, "No, just Stiles. Only Stiles." Nixie looks to Alison and asks, "Why?" "Scott came into the room earlier while you two were gone. He was acting… strange. Really strange. I think… I think something is effecting him. And if it's effecting him…"

Nixie nods and says, "Maybe it's happening to all the werewolves. Alright. Lydia, get Stiles. Hurry." "On it."

* * *

"The last time I saw Scott act like that was during a full moon." Stiles nods in agreement with Alison, and says, "Yeah, I know. He was definitely a little bit off with me just a few minutes ago too. But actually, it was Boyd who was really off." Nixie lifts her gaze to him and asks, "How?" "Well, for starters, he put his fist through a vending machine." "And for second?"

Stiles pauses, and then turns to her and says, "Ah… I don't actually have a second. Yet." Nixie grins at him, and then they turn to Lydia when she says, "See! It is the motel! Either we need to get out of here right now or someone needs to learn how to do an exorcism, ASAP, before the werewolves go crazy and kill us."

Stiles is about to tell her to hold on and calm down, when Nixie suddenly says, "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas." When she feels everyone's eyes land on her, Nixie shrugs and says, "What? When I'm not watching Grey's Anatomy, I watch Supernatural. Good show. You should all consider binging it sometime on Netflix. Anyways, moving on."

Stiles points at her and says, "First of all… that was cool. But secondly, and more importantly right now, what if it's not just the motel? The number in the office went up by three, right?" He waits for them to catch on, and then points excitedly at Nixie when she says, "The same number as the number of sacrifices each time." "Exactly. What if this time, it's three werewolves."

Alison nods and says, "Scott, Isaac, and Boyd." Stiles looks at her and says, "Maybe we were meant to come here."

Lydia bursts out, "Exactly! So can we get the hell out of here now? Please?" Nixie shrugs and says, "I'm all for it. We might need to knock out the werewolves and drag them behind us… but I'm game." Stiles glances down at the bible in Lydia's hand though, and says, "Hold on a second. Let me see this."

He opens it to the folded bookmark in the page, which is actually a newspaper clipping, and as he flips it open, Alison asks, "What is that?" Stiles reads, "Twenty-eight year old man hangs himself at the infamous Glen Capri."

They all look at each other, and then Nixie snatches the bible and shakes it out onto the bed, letting all the other newspaper clippings fall out. As the others go through them, Lydia points out, "Look at these two. They both mention the room two-seventeen." Nixie glances at the keychain on the keys to their room, and then says, "Yeah. That's this room." Lydia nods and says, "So these are probably all the suicides that have happened in this room."

Alison sighs and says, "So if every room has a bible…" Lydia nods and confirms, "There could be articles in all the rooms." Stiles stares at the clippings for a moment, and then says, "Well, that's a beautiful thing. Most places leave a mint under the pillow." Nixie adds in, "Or chocolates on the bed." Stiles nods and finishes, "But this one leaves a record of all the horrible deaths that occurred."

Nixie runs a hand through her hair, but then pauses again when Lydia asks sadly, "What if the room next door has the one about the couple?"

While Lydia and Alison simply look at each other sadly at what must've happened in there, Nixie and Stiles look at each other with concern. There had been nearly two-hundred suicides at this motel already, not including the three they now needed to watch out for. But Lydia had only heard one. Why? Why had she heard that one?

Unless something else was about to happen in that same room.

Alison and Lydia jump when Nixie and Stiles, at the exact same moment, sprint from the room to head for the one next door. As Stiles tries to pull it open though, he finds the door locked. Shaking her head, Nixie says, "We were here before and that was definitely not locked." Alison puts a hand on her head and says worriedly, "We need to hurry up and get Scott, Isaac, and Boyd out of here." Nixie nods in agreement and says, "Stiles, go and see about Isaac and Boyd, I'll check on Scott."

But as they start heading away, everyone freezes when they hear the buzzing sound coming from the room they were just at. Lydia asks desperately, "I'm not the only one who hears that, am I?" Alison shakes her head and says, "It sounds like someone turned the handsaw on."

Stiles is back in a flash and asks in horror, "Handsaw?!"

As Stiles tries to ram himself into the door, without any results, Alison pulls out a bobby pin and asks, "Nixie?"

But she shakes her head and says, "No time. Stiles, move!" She yanks him out of the way, and then steps all the way back to the railing before hurtling herself at the door. Slamming herself into it, her shoulder lower and more level with the handle, it blisters and cracks and splinters open. Nixie rolls the rest of the way into the room, coming face to face with Ethan, who has the handsaw in hand and is about to literally cut himself open with it.

And in spite of the fact that she still really doesn't like any of them… instinct takes over and Nixie shouts, "NO!"

She grabs it in her hands, dangerous as she knows that is, and screams to the others, "SHUT IT OFF! NOW!" The other three scramble to try and find the chord used for the handsaw, and when Lydia finds it, she yanks it out of the wall.

Ethan tosses Nixie to the ground, leaving the handsaw in her hands. She manages to make sure she drops it away from anyone else, tossing the damn thing over her head and to the other side of the room. Alison breathes a sigh of relief at that. Nixie already had three nasty wounds to count already that Alison knew about it. Having to add a handsaw incident to the list was most definitely not going to help matters.

But their relief is short-lived when Ethan takes out his claws and starts trying to carve himself open. Nixie rolls back onto her feet, and with Stiles help, tries to grab him and pulls his hands away from his body. Alison joins them too, but Ethan tosses her aside, and then shoves Stiles across the room and into the scaffolding. Glaring at Ethan in front of her, Nixie takes a step back and says, "Fine."

Spinning around, she delivers a swift roundhouse kick to his jaw, sending him spinning and falling into the electric heater in the room.

And for whatever reason… he comes too. Whatever trance he'd been possessed by… he snaps out of it. Looking at all of them as Nixie helps Stiles to his feet and Alison moves to be near Lydia, he asks, "What just happened?"

None of them answer him. They don't answer him, because they don't know.

He looks at them one last time, and then takes off out of the room. Stiles pats Nixie on the shoulder and asks, "You good?" "I'm fine." "Good. You're definitely with me. You might need to kick him again. Ethan!"

They chase after him, Stiles asking and practically demanding to know what the hell he was doing and why he was in that room. But Ethan doesn't know. And he doesn't want to talk about it. Glancing back at Stiles, he repeats, "Didn't you hear what I just said? I don't know how I got there, or what I was doing." Huffing, Stiles says, "You could be a little bit more helpful, you know? We did just save your life?" "Yeah. And you probably shouldn't have."

He turns to walk away, and then reels back and falls on his ass from the punch he receives to the face.

Nixie's hand stings all over from the blow. It was definitely easier and more effective to kick a werewolf if she could, rather than punch him. But… he was on the ground… so she's satisfied. Glaring at him, she says, "We'll remember that next time, ungrateful mutt." Back to the others, she says, "Come on."

As they head back up the stairs, Lydia asks, "Now what?" Nixie glances back at them, and then says, "Alison and I will find Scott. You two find Isaac and Boyd. We need to get them out of this place. Now. As in, yesterday would've been preferable." Stiles nods and says, "On it."

Alison and Nixie pause at Scott's room, the door already ajar. Looking at each other, Alison asks, "What do you think?" "Well, I certainly don't think we're in danger. Apparently they're all just trying to kill themselves… not us. Let's go."

They step inside, looking around and under the furniture, but Scott's not there. Sighing, Nixie says, "We need to find him." "Right." Then Nixie's phone goes off. Answering, she asks, "Yeah?" "Nixie! Someone's drowning! Boyd's drowning!" Nixie looks to Alison and says, "Keep looking for Scott. Let me know when you find him. Lydia, I'm coming!"

When she gets in the room, Stiles and Lydia are trying to lift the safe off of Boyd, but it's too heavy. And even when she tries to help, they can only budge it a little bit. Lydia looks down at him and asks, "Is he dead? How long can a werewolf stay underwater?" Stiles looks at her and asks in aggravation, "You think I know that?" "Well, you know almost everything else that has to do with them!"

Nixie lets go of the safe and says, "It's too heavy." Stiles nods, and then jumps when Nixie grabs him by the arm and says, "Don't back into that thing. It'll burn you."

How she still managed to be paying attention to him nearly backing into the heater, while they were worrying about Boyd, Stiles will never know. But as he glances back at it, he says, "Wait. That's it! The heater. Ethan came out of it when he touched the heater!" Nixie nods and says, "Okay, great. Slight problem." Stiles looks at her and asks, "What? What problem?" "He's underwater!"

Stiles flails at her and says, "I'm aware of that! So what can we…" Lydia turns to them and says, "The bus. On the bus, they'll have emergency road flares. They have their own oxidizers. They can burn underwater." Stiles grins and asks, "Are you serious?" "Yes! Go Stiles!" He takes off out of the room, and then Lydia grins when Nixie kisses her cheek and says, "See. You're not going crazy! You're a genius!"

As they go back into the room, Nixie beginning to pace as they wait on Stiles, Lydia asks, for what must be at least the tenth time tonight, "Do you hear that?" Nixie runs a hand over her face and asks, "Hear what?" "Under the bed?"

Nixie pauses in her pace, and then frowns because she does in fact hear something under the bed. Moving and bending down with Lydia, they both glance under it at the same time.

Isaac gasps upon seeing them, and then scrambles back further under the bed to get away from them. Trapped in a confined space. Something Isaac couldn't handle. Sighing, Nixie says, "Oh Isaac. We'll get to you next, I promise." But since his situation wasn't quite as dire as Boyd's, when Stiles came back into the room, they immediately headed for the bathroom with the flare.

To say Boyd snapped out of it would be an understatement. He tossed the safe, which the three of them hadn't even been able to budge, completely across the room. Standing up from the tub, eyes dimming from their yellow glow, he turns to them and asks, "What… happened?" Nixie shrugs and says, "Beats the hell out of us. You good?" He nods to her, and she says, "Great. Stiles. Get Isaac if you please. He's under the bed."

After Stiles takes care of Isaac, they meet Alison outside, where she says, "I can't find Scott anywhere." Stiles runs a hand through his hair and says, "It's happening to him too, isn't it?" Lydia nods and says, "It has to be. Did you say there was another flare on the bus?" Stiles nods and Nixie says, "I'll get it. Find Scott. He…"

She freezes so suddenly that Lydia runs into her back, and then she asks, "What? Nixie, what…" "No. No, no, no, no…" As she moves around the liquid that is at Scott's feet, she finally spots the container marked 'gasoline'.

Scott had completely soaked himself in gasoline. And he was holding the only other flare from the bus. And if he moved it any closer to himself, or even just dropped it…

Nixie's body was shaking again, and though they were unsure why it happened right then, the others felt the area around them suddenly fill with a wicked chill in the air. The temperature just suddenly shot down, for no apparent reason.

Not that it was going to save Scott if he dropped the flare.

He looked out at all of them, and then sad in a flat and despairing voice, "There's no hope." Alison, timidly stepping as close to the edge of the liquid as she can, asks, "What do you mean Scott? There's always hope." "Not for me. Not for Derek."

Nixie steps up beside Alison and says, "Derek wasn't your fault." Alison nods and says, "You know he wasn't your fault. We were both there Scott. We know. We know it wasn't…" But Scott shakes his head, some of the drops from his head coming dangerously close to the flare. Then he says, "Every time I try to fight back… it just gets worse. People keep getting hurt. People keep getting killed."

Stiles steps up and says, "Scott, listen to me, okay? This isn't you. This is someone inside your head telling you to do this. Okay? Now…" Scott looks at him briefly, and then says, "What if it isn't? What if it is just me? What if doing this is actually the best thing that I could do for everyone else?"

Nixie shakes her head and says, "Scott please. Please don't…" But he says, "It all started that night… the night I got bitten. You were there Nixie. You know. Do you remember the way it was before that? You and me and Stiles. We… we were nothing. We weren't popular. We weren't good at lacrosse. I wasn't worried about failing my classes because I knew we'd all have time for them. We… we weren't important. We were no one. Maybe I should just be no one again. No one at all."

Shaking her head again, Nixie says, "You're wrong. You're wrong about all of it Scott. You do matter. You are important. And you always have been." "No, I wasn't. Before all of this… I wasn't important to anyone. I wasn't…" "You were important to me! You have always been important to me! You will always be important to me! You… you can't seriously think that… that after everything I… you can't…"

Stiles puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Nix… Nix let me talk to him. Okay? Keep looking right at him and just let me talk to him." Nixie seals her trembling lips shut, and watches as Stiles steps past her and says, "Scott. Just listen to me, okay? You're not no one. Okay? You're someone, you're… Scott, you're our best friend. Okay? And we need you. Nixie… she needs you. Look at her. Look at her for me."

Scott glances over at Nixie and watches her as Stiles says, "You remember the night when Gerard tried to kidnap me? You remember what I told you about Nixie? You remember what I saw in her eyes?" Scott has to think for a second, but then nods slowly and says, "Terror." "Yes. And why? Why was she so afraid?"

Eyes widening ever so slightly, Scott says, "For you." "Yes. Not for herself. For me. Because she was terrified that they would still manage to get to me." Lydia and Alison both look over at Nixie, who stays locked in her staring contest with Scott. She can't look away. Not now.

Stiles nods and says, "She was afraid they would get to me, and that they would hurt me. Why was she so worried about that?" Scott takes a moment to work out his response, and then finally says, "Because we're hers." Stiles is relieved beyond belief that Scott includes himself in that statement, and nods and says, "Yes. We're her boys. And Nixie would sooner die than see us hurt. Remember? Hell will freeze over."

Scott nods, and Stiles says, "She won't survive this Scott. Look at her. Look at her eyes." Scott stares into her eyes, watching as they shiver and swim with pent up tears. Stiles shakes his head and says, "She can't lose you. She can't lose us. It'll break her. You remember I told you that? You remember what I told you about when Matt shot you? How she reacted? You heard her Scott. She'd move mountains for you."

Scott nods again, and then looks back at Stiles when he says, "You're our brother Scott. Hers and mine. We need you. I can't lose you either, you know that. And Nixie… she wouldn't survive it. She'd never forgive herself. And you… you can't call yourself nothing, when someone loves you like that. Loves you so completely that… if you die, their entire world shatters. And that's what you'll do to her, Scott. That's what you'll do to both of us."

Stiles reaches back with one hand for Nixie, who takes his willingly and comes up right beside him. Then, Stiles takes one step into the gasoline with Scott. And Nixie doesn't even hesitate. She goes right with him. Scott stares at both of them, and Stiles says, "So… if you're gonna do this… then you're just gonna have to take us with you."

Stiles reaches out for the flare, and when Scott doesn't fight him, he pulls it out of his hand, and tosses it far to the side.

Scott nearly breaks down, gasping for air himself, but then his eyes snap to Nixie, whose sharp intake of air turns into a sob. She slaps a hand over her mouth to try and hide anymore sounds, but it's futile. Chest heaving as she cries, she launches herself into Scott's arms, never mind the fact that he's still covered in gasoline. Crying into his chest, she says, "Scott! Scott, please… please don't ever… I… I can't…"

Stiles moves to be behind her and both boys lock her between them as they hold each other tight. Breathing a little bit easier, Scott bends his head down to whisper in her ear, "You can't lose me. I know. I'm… I'm so sorry. I won't…" She squeezes him back so hard that he actually thinks she might crack a few of his ribs, but he doesn't care… doesn't dare tell her to let go.

Stiles was right. How could he ever doubt his worth, when Nixie clearly loved him so much? She didn't cry for much. She freaked out less. But this… losing him, or any of them… this was the only thought that terrified her.

She's this close to finally having gathered her wits about her again, when Lydia screams, "NO!"

Nixie's not sure what happens. Trapped between the boys, all she knows is that she's suddenly falling with them, everyone suddenly being pushed beyond and out of the gasoline on the ground. The flare, which Stiles had tossed aside, managed to roll back and catch on the edge of the gasoline, lighting up what was there.

But thanks to Lydia… they were all still safe.

Lydia, closest to the flames at this point… is a bit confused. Of course, the face appearing within the flames is a confusing thing in itself. But… before that… before she saw the face… it was the heat that confused her. One minute, she was worried that her ankles or legs might be too close, the heat so intense that it might actually harm her or one of the others.

And then… the cold chill returned. It pushed back against the heat and Lydia actually shivered from the feeling instead of feeling like she was getting burnt from the flames. It made no sense. None whatsoever.

But they were alive. And the face, the tortured and torn face within the flames… that was definitely more concerning.

After the flames die down and they all rise to their feet, Nixie looks over Scott and says, "You need a shower. Three of them. Stiles, stay in the room with him. Do not leave his side for anything." Stiles nods, and then Nixie turns to the girls. "Alison and Lydia, get Boyd and Isaac. Get them on the bus. There is no way in hell we are sleeping in these rooms tonight. Stiles, after Scott is done, get him down here too."

Nodding again, Stiles asks, "What are you going to do?" "Take a shower. Now I'm soaked in gasoline too. I'll meet you at the buses. Okay?"

Everyone breaks to do as their told, but Nixie pauses for a second to glance up at the sky. Storm clouds had gathered in the wake of what had happened, and now the rain was beginning to pour, helping put out the fire in the lot. Scoffing, Nixie says, "Now you show up. Surprise, surprise."

Wiping at her tear-filled eyes, Nixie sighs and says, "Damn. It's going to be a long night."

* * *

"I don't want to know." Nixie opens her tired eyes and looks up from Scott's lap. This was one definite advantage of being short. She was small enough that she could curl up in a bus seat and still be comfortable enough to go to sleep. Scott had still insisted on being close, which Nixie didn't mind in the slightest. And as she sat up, she found she still had a corner of his shirt clutched tightly in her hand.

Coach was at the front of the bus, and he repeated to them, "I really don't want to know." And Scott grins when Nixie asks, "Are you sure Coach? It's a doozy." "I'm positive. But in case you missed the announcement, the meet's canceled, so we're heading home." And to everyone else on the ground below, he yells, "Pack it in!"

Nixie stretches her arms above her head, but then immediately snaps them back down when Ethan takes a seat in front of her and Scott. Gripping Scott's wrist in her hand tightly, her entire body on edge, she only relaxes when Scott says gently, "It's alright."

He takes her hand in his and gives it a squeeze before looking back to Ethan.

The alpha, for his part, stares at Nixie for a moment in… what almost looks like concern. Then he turns back to Scott and says, "I don't know what happened last night, but…" He glances at Nixie again, and then says, "I'm pretty sure your girl saved my life. So I'm gonna give you something. We're pretty sure Derek's still alive."

Nixie's entire frame, which had still been tense for the time being, slumps down in relief and she asks, "What?" Ethan's gaze actually becomes gentler as he continues looking at her. Then he says again, "He's alive. But…" Nixie sighs and says, "Why? Why does there always have to be a 'but'?"

Ethan looks back to Scott and says, "He killed one of ours. That means one of two things can happen. Either he joins our pack…" Scott sighs and says, "And kills his own." Ethan nods, and then adds, "Or Kali goes after him, and we kill him. That's the way it works."

Stiles leans forward from behind them and says, "You know, your little code of ethics there is sort of barbaric, just FYI." Ethan doesn't deny that, but then looks back at Nixie for a moment. Looking back at him, narrowing her gaze, Nixie asks, "What?" He stares a moment longer, and then looks at Scott and asks, "Why are her eyes red?" Scott looks at her too, and then sighs and says, "That's… kind of my fault."

Nixie gives Scott a look that says it most definitely is not entirely his fault. Then she looks up at Ethan and says, "You think you had a rough night? You don't know jack-shit about what a rough night actually looks like." Keeping Scott's hand in hers, she leans over to rest her head on his shoulder. Sighing, she says, "I'm going back to sleep." "Okay. I'll be right here." "You better be. You're on Nixie-arrest for the next twenty-four hours." Chuckling, Scott says, "Yes Nixie."

He shrugs slightly at Ethan, who then moves back to sit with Danny.

Lydia then suddenly stands up and asks, "Coach, can I see your whistle for a second?" "Um… you… Hey! I'm gonna need that back!"

Nixie sits up while Lydia takes the seat across from theirs and asks, "What's up?"

She cups her hand over the whistle and blows, and then turns her palm over to show them the black powdery type of substance that now coats her hand. Eyes wide, she simply says, "Wolfsbane." Nixie stares at the whistle in disbelief, while Stiles says, "So every time Coach blew the whistle on the bus… Scott, Isaac, Boyd…" Lydia nods and says, "And Ethan."

Scott adds, "We all inhaled it." Alison leans forward and says, "You were all poisoned by it." Stiles runs a hand over his mouth before saying, "So that's how the Darach got in their heads. That's how he did it."

He stares at it for a moment longer, and then Stiles reaches over and snatches it out of Lydia's hand. He scrambles back to his seat and is going for the window, when Coach yells, "Hey! Stilinski! What do you think you're…"

Stiles freezes for a moment, but then relaxes. Spinning around, he hands the whistle down to Nixie and says, "Here."

Nixie takes it and lowers the window next to her and tosses the whistle out the window. Then, as Coach stares at her with an open mouth, Nixie pounds her hand against the side of the bus for a moment and then calls out, "Hey Mick."

The bus driver, whose name was Mick, looks back at her with a smile. She grins back and says, "Take us home, my man."

As he starts pulling out, Coach comes over to their seat and says, "What?! What just... You just… You can't…"

Nixie looks up at him, levels him with her red, but no less fierce eyes, and then says calmly, "Coach. I am not in the mood. Not today."

He stares at her a moment more, and then glances at the others, all of whom shake their heads in unison, warning him that Nixie is not to be trifled with right now. So, he walks away, albeit, muttering something about how someone owes him a new whistle.

Resting her head on Scott's shoulder again, Nixie sighs and says, "Let me know when we're home." "Okay Nix. I promise."

When she's asleep again, Boyd and Isaac move to take the seat in front of Scott and Nixie. Looking back at her, Boyd asks, "Is she alright?" Scott nods and says, "She will be. It was just… a really long night." Isaac nods, and then says, "I've never seen her so upset." Alison nods, but then they turn when Lydia says, "I have."

Looking up at the eyes that now land on her, she takes a moment to think about it. Then she nods and says, "After Peter… after he bit me and I was in the hospital. When I first woke up… I was screaming bloody-murder. No one could come near me… I wouldn't let them. You remember Stiles, you were there. You were the one who thought to get Nixie."

Stiles nods that he remembers. Lydia continues, "When she got there… at first I didn't even notice. I was just so happy she was there. I don't know how long we just sat there, me holding onto her and her just letting me. But when we finally let each other go… when she finally pulled back… I saw it."

Alison asks, "Saw what?" "Her eyes. They were bloodshot, like they are now. Like she'd been crying for days. And I mean… all this time, I was honestly still confused by it. I mean… it had been at least a couple of weeks and I… I was told that I was miraculously going to be fine. I didn't understand… why she should look like that. But now…" Stiles nods and says, "You're hers too." Lydia looks up at him and says, "I didn't think I was. I thought… I thought she'd pushed me out." Stiles nods, and then says, "I don't think Nixie really has it in her to actually kick somebody out. Once you're in, you're in. You can't lose her. Pretty sure it's impossible."

Lydia smiles at that, and then sighs and says, "I guess we should all try to get some more rest while we can. This is far from over." They all nod in agreement, everyone settling in for some more shut eye.

Scott doesn't miss how, every now and again, Nixie's hand that's in his will squeeze just a little tighter, as though confirming for herself that he's still there.

He wonders if hell is smart enough to not push her limits. At this point, he's fairly certain it will literally freeze over before Nixie will allow any of them to die on her.

* * *

And that is Chapter 6. Those of you who were still comfortable reading it after my warning from above, I do hope you enjoyed it. Chapter 7 will hopefully follow sometime later today. Fingers crossed.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 7: Episode 3x7

When Scott had called and asked if she could meet him halfway to the hospital, and to please grab Melissa's favorite Chinese takeout on the way, Nixie nearly got stuck behind the ten-car pileup herself. Luckily, Scott thought to call her back and explain why he was getting his mom dinner, and she worked her way around it and then actually just met him at the hospital.

Watching Scott take the pain of the woman he was sitting next to… that aspect of being a werewolf was something Nixie loved most. More than the speed and the other heightened senses. More than the strength and the heightened awareness of everything around you. Nixie loved that werewolves could, if they cared enough, take the pain of others.

She wasn't about to ask Derek to turn her into a werewolf just so she could do that… but it was a gift and skill that she seriously wouldn't mind having sometimes.

Like when Ethan suddenly came barging into the hospital screaming, "Help! Somebody help me! I need help!"

He was half carrying Danny, who looked like he was either choking or simply couldn't breathe. Nixie can't decide which. She's at his side in a second, asking, "Danny? Danny, can you talk to me?" He tries, but it just hurts him more, so Nixie says, "Okay, don't! Don't aggravate it! And don't you dare die!"

In spite of everything, Danny actually grins, and Ethan stares at him in shock for a moment before looking at Nixie again when she says, "Come on! We need to sit him down! Melissa! We need help! Scott!"

Scott moves to take Danny's other side so Nixie doesn't have to help hold him up. Sitting him down in the hall and stepping back so Melissa can look at him, Scott then grabs Ethan by the front of his shirt and demands, "What did you do to him?!" "Nothing!"

Ethan spins to look at Danny again, but blinks in surprise when he finds Nixie in front of him. Glaring, she says, "Explain. Now. What the hell happened?" "I don't know! He said he was having chest pains and trouble breathing, but then… it just kept getting worse."

Melissa looks to the receptionist and asks, "How much longer on Dr. Hilyard?" When that woman just shrugs, Nixie glowers and asks, "Does no one understand how to properly answer these serious questions? What the hell kind of good is a shrug going to do?"

Melissa feels at Danny's throat and says, "His larynx has shifted to the side. I think it's a tension pneumothorax." And then Danny lurches forward and throws up on the floor, tiny little pellets and bits of leaves spurting out of his mouth amongst the liquid. Nixie stares down at it, eyes narrowed, trying to remember why those might be familiar to her.

Then Ethan whispers to himself, "Mistletoe." And he turns to look at Nixie when she mutters back, "Son of a bitch!"

Melissa leans down next to Danny, and then says, "Nixie, get me one of the beds. We need to lay him down and get him into a room. Now."

She sprints off down the hall, commandeering one of the beds waiting a few doors down. When she comes back, Ethan and Scott help get Danny on the bed, and then follow as Melissa starts rolling him down to the west wing of the hospital. As she pushes him in, Melissa looks at all of them and asks, "Will you three please all go back to the waiting room?"

Scott shakes his head, and then watches in surprise as Ethan backs out of the way willingly when Nixie comes over to Danny's left side. Taking his hand in hers, squeezing it tight, she says, "You're gonna be alright Danny. I promise."

Ethan then looks to Melissa, oblivious to Scott's watching eyes, and asks, "Where are the nurses and doctors? Where is everyone?" "It's a full house tonight. They're tending to other patients." Scott leans closer to her and asks, "Okay, well, mom, how can we help?" "Honey, you can't. His lung is collapsed. His heart is being pushed against his chest cavity now."

Nixie squeezes Danny's hand that much tighter as Scott asks, "He's gonna die… isn't he?" Melissa first looks at her son, and then over at Nixie. She lifts her gaze to Melissa, and then simply says, "Save him. Please."

Melissa takes a breath, and then says, "Scott, grab the tape. You…" she points at Ethan, "get the scissors and cut his shirt open."

Nixie holds Danny's hand even tighter and says, "Hang on Danny." Then she snaps to attention when Melissa says, "Nixie… I need you on my side." Nixie doesn't argue, but as she drops Danny's hand and rounds the bed, she asks, "Why?" "I need your hands. Steady hands."

Ethan literally just rips Danny's shirt down the middle while Scott comes back with the tape. And the needle that Melissa pulls out of the nearby drawer is bigger than Nixie has ever seen, or ever wanted to see.

As Melissa begins feeling around at Danny's chest, Scott says, "Mom, he's not breathing!" "I know, I know!" When she finds the hollow pocket she's looking for, Melissa hands the needle to Nixie, who takes it with wide eyes and asks, "What the hell do I do with this?" "The point we need to hit is small. I have my fingers positioned around it. Problem is, you have to do it hard and fast and penetrate all the way through and deep enough."

Melissa glances at Scott, and then to Nixie and says, "Scott's good, but you've always had the steadiest hands Nixie. Punch it in at a downward angle, right here. Hard and quick. Then let go and I'll do the rest."

Nixie nods, and then looks to Ethan and says, "Hold his hand. This is probably gonna hurt like a bitch." Then she focuses on the space between Melissa first two fingers, and plunges the needle into Danny's chest.

She quickly scrambles out of the way as Melissa gets to work after that, slowly extracting the pocket of air that was smothering his lungs, and letting the valve allow the air that was creating the pressure to slowly release.

When Danny starts breathing easy again, Nixie slumps in relief. Danny opens his weary eyes and looks up at Melissa and says, "Thank you." Melissa smiles down at him and says, "No problem."

Lifting her gaze to the others, finding them looking at her in awe, Melissa asks, "What?" Scott simply grins and says, "Mom. That was awesome." Grinning, Melissa says, "It was… no problem. You know. It was no big deal."

Nixie wraps her up in a tight hug quicker that Melissa can blink, and says, "You're officially the most awesome adult I know. Hands down. No competition." Chuckling, Melissa says, "I don't know how Noah would feel about that." "He'll get over it."

"Nix…" She turns to look at Danny, and then takes his right hand and says, "Yeah. I'm here Danny. You okay?" "Yeah. Great." Smiling, he adds, "Heard you giving me orders while I was nearly dying. Is that anyway to treat a man on his death bed." "Not your death bed Danny. Now you're just being lazy."

He laughs weakly, and then says, "Sorry." "I'm kidding. Don't you dare apologize. Just… sleep. Get some rest. And for Pete's sake, don't do this to me again." "Yes ma'am."

Melissa shoos them away after a while, and as they're heading out the door, Nixie says, "Remind me to start making a point to be very annoyed the next time someone says, 'Yes ma'am' to me. It's getting annoying. I'm not a ma'am, yet. I'm the same age as the rest of you people." Scott shrugs and says, "True… but you act like a mom sometimes." Nixie gives him a look and says, "I think I should be insulted." "How about you act like the awesome aunt that everybody always wants to come visit?" "Sounds a bit better. I can work with that."

Turning as the door behind them opens, Nixie huffs and says, "Here comes Twin A." Scott sighs, but before they can speak, Ethan lifts his hands in a peaceful type of gesture, and then says, "I know you're not gonna believe me… but I didn't do anything."

Scott glances at Nixie, who shrugs with indifference about that. She still didn't like any of these alphas. But… the fact that she wasn't glaring at Ethan right now let Scott know that she didn't think he was lying. So instead of pushing on that accusation further, Scott says, "All I know, is that the minute that you got here, you went right for Danny. And your brother went for Lydia."

Ethan nods, and then looks to Nixie when she adds, "I promised Scott I'd keep my aloud and verbal threats of death to a minimum. But suffice it to say… I will be supremely unhappy if either of them ends up hurt."

He nods to her as well, and then says, "We're not gonna hurt him." Scott scoffs and asks, "Why should we believe you?!" Ethan sighs, but looks to Nixie again when she says, "If you want to make any more headway with Danny in the future; you will answer that question." He stares at her for a moment, and then asks, "Is that a threat to me, or to him?" "Neither really. More a threat towards the idea of you two together."

When Ethan tilts his head curiously, Nixie says, "Danny is my friend. He's not exactly one of my boys, but he's a friend. And he knows I have his best interests at heart." Leaning closer, she adds, "So if I tell him to break up with you and never see you again… he will listen to me. He might not exactly enjoy it… but he will listen."

She straightens again and waits to see what Ethan has to say about that. And for a moment, he just continues to stare at her. Then he turns to Scott and says, "Deucalion knew that one of them was gonna be important to you. And now we know it's Lydia."

He notes Nixie's body snapping into an even straighter stance, and the glare of her eyes has returned. But before she can comment, Scott sets his helmet back down and moves around them. Following his gaze to the car that's swerving into the parking lot, Nixie asks, "Are they drunk?"

And then it crashes into a nearby vehicle, so Scott and Ethan sprint towards it, Nixie hot on their heels.

The monarch that Scott picks up from the driver's seat, rather than being met with an actual person… throws everyone or a loop. Sighing, Nixie says, "Great. Because that's not ominous at all." Scott turns to her, and then glances at Ethan before saying, "Come on Nix. We need to get Stiles. Can you bring him back here? I'll go ahead and call the sheriff." "Right. Anymore questions you wanna ask the twin while we're here and I'm in the mood to threaten his relationship with Danny?"

Ethan gives her a look, though there's no real heat behind it. And then he turns to Scott when Scott says, "I do have a question concerning him, actually?" But he keeps his eyes on Nixie as he then asks, "Why is he Twin A? Shouldn't that be Aiden. You know. Twin A… Aiden starts with A. Just…"

Nixie nods to that idea, but then says, "I don't like Aiden. I don't like Ethan either. I don't like any of them." Scott nods to that, but then grins ever so slightly when Ethan looks at her in surprise when she concedes, "But… out of all of them, and between the two wonder twins… I dislike Ethan the least. So… he's Twin A."

After walking back to her bike, as Nixie is preparing to put on her helmet, Ethan moves in front of her, blocking her path. Raising an eyebrow, Nixie says, "I'm not sure what you think you're going to prove standing right there… but I'm not above running your ass over. It might actually put a smile on my face tonight."

Ethan doesn't move for a moment, but then finally comes around to her left side. He continues to stare at her for a while, until Nixie finally says, "I promise you… it'll be way easier to try and understand the answer to your question if you actually ask it out loud. I'm a damn hard person to read for anybody that doesn't actually know me. Plus I don't like you… which makes it ten times harder for you."

"Why do you 'dislike me' the least?" "You're not as bad as the others." "How do you know that?" "No idea. Call it intuition, if you will." "What is it about me?" "Not sure." "You have to have some idea." "I don't." "Nixie, you can't seriously tell me that you don't hate me like the others, that you're going to let me keep seeing Danny… and you have absolutely no idea why. There has to be…"

Nixie finally blurts out, "You're a small evil." Blinking in confusion, Ethan asks, "What?"

Sighing, Nixie runs a hand through her hair and says, "I… am good at reading people. I always have been. I know who I like, and I know who I don't like… and I definitely know who I hate. And usually, the people I like are those closest to me, the people I don't like are on the edge of being one or the other, and the people I hate are in serious need of a beat down that I am very happy to help dish out."

She looks him up and down, and then sighs and says, "You fall into the middle category, which is annoying as hell. People like you… it's like you're on the fence. You're bad… but you don't have to be. You might not even want to be. But you are. You're not like Peter, or Kate, or Gerard…"

When Ethan looks at her in more confusion, she waves it away and says, "They were before you. In any case… I knew I hated them. The minute I saw them… I knew. And you…" Shaking her head, Nixie says, "You're not that. You're not a big evil. You're not a person that I look at and think, 'I really need to kick his ass'. You're small… and it's damn annoying."

Ethan stares at her a moment more, and then steps back and says, "Thanks for answering." "Sure. Don't get used to it though. I still don't like you. And if you hurt Danny… and I mean in any way, shape, or fashion…"

She pauses, and then says, "I promised not to threaten to kill aloud. But rest assured, I will be pissed, and nothing good will happen to you while I'm pissed. Got me?" "Yes ma'am."

Nixie snaps her eyes to his for a moment, and then she sighs and says, "I guess I just have to get used to it. Even our enemies are starting to call me ma'am. Good grief."

* * *

After Stiles helps explain to his dad that there were two separate kidnappings, the ER attending, and then the on-call doctor as well, they step aside while Noah takes Melissa's statement.

Once out of earshot, Scott asks, "These are definitely sacrifices, right?" Stiles nods and says, "It's one Deaton mentioned. Healers." Scott sighs, and then asks, "What about Danny though? He threw up mistletoe. That's not a coincidence." Stiles asks, "Are we sure Ethan didn't do that?"

Both boys look to Nixie, who glances between them and asks, "What?" Stiles flails spastically and says, "Don't act like you don't know what we want! You have the uncanny ability of knowing who our truest enemies usually are." "I still don't like him." "But do you think he could've done that to Danny?"

Nixie's not entirely sure they should be so reliant on her supposed 'sixth sense'. But… they do need to go ahead and get a jump on this… so Nixie says, "No. I don't think Ethan did it. He actually cares about Danny. And if Danny hadn't been with him when all this started…"

She doesn't continue, not really wanting to think about the second option. Scott nods, and says, "So why attack Danny? He's not a healer."

Stiles sighs, and then glances past Scott's shoulder to his dad. Pointing, he asks, "Can you hear that?" Nixie glances to see Noah on the phone with somebody. Looking to Scott, since her own sensitive ears aren't so powerful as to hear the voice on the other end of the phone, she waits with Stiles to hear what he has to say.

Snapping back around to them, Scott says, "They found a body. The ER attending, from the sound of it." Nixie sighs and says, "Great. So… at least we know the Darach is hunting healers. Which ones do we know that we seriously need to look out for?"

Scott looks down at her, and then snaps his gaze over to Melissa and says, "Mom." Nixie nods, and then says, "I'm coming to your house tonight. We'll keep an eye on her and make sure no moths or butterflies or any other type of critter comes in to try and suddenly switch and take your mom's place. Which, by the way, I still don't get!"

* * *

Nixie was standing outside Melissa's room in the hall. Scott had sent her to bed as soon as they'd gotten to his house, claiming that he and Isaac would watch Melissa in shifts. To his knowledge, Nixie was, once again, getting the least amount of sleep out of all of them. So he told her to sleep tonight and that he and Isaac would take care of keeping an eye on his mom.

She did go to sleep for about three hours, and then woke up and moved to Melissa's room to see how it was going. Which is where she found Isaac nodding off wearily and Scott sitting in the chair next to him, fast asleep.

They weren't like Nixie when it came to sleep. So long as someone needed her to be awake… and definitely in the midst of all the chaos they were currently experiencing, Nixie could function on a solid four hours of sleep, for a straight seventy-two hour period, if she had to. Did she actually want to test that theory? Hell no. Hence the three hours she just got.

But… well, now she was standing outside Melissa's bedroom, eyes closed but ears attuned and listening for any sounds that didn't seem to belong in the house. And she was still standing there when Melissa stepped out the door with the boys, saying, "Go and get ready. And do not make me feel like I have to follow you myself just to make sure you make it to school today."

Scott had nodded, but then jumped in surprise when Nixie said from next to the door, "No worries Melissa. I've got them." Melissa turned to see her, and then just smiled and said, "Should've figured. Please tell me you slept a little last night." "Yep. And now I'm rested and ready to go. Bring on the Darach. I'll kick his ass with both hands tied behind my back."

As Melissa laughs while walking back into her room, Nixie looks to Scott and says, "I have no idea why she's laughing. I could do it you know? And why are you two laughing now? I'm serious!"

* * *

When Nixie heard Scott on the other end of her phone in her free period, she sat up so straight and so suddenly that it made her chair scrape against the floor. Not that anyone noticed. Turning and whispering, she asks, "Scott, what's wrong?"

At first he tries to talk so fast she can't keep up, so she says, "Scott, slow it down, alright. What about Deaton?" "He just called me! He said he's going to be taken! A third sacrifice! I have to find him!"

Standing up and walking to the front of the room, she looks down at Mrs. Clark at the desk and asks, "Do I need to explain why I'm leaving?" "It's free period. Not my fault if you aren't here in time for your next class." "Noted."

Taking off outside, she asks Scott, "Where are you?" "Heading to the clinic. Maybe… maybe I can…" "Alright, I'm about five seconds behind you. See you when I get there."

And Nixie being… well, Nixie… she actually caught up to Scott before they got to the clinic.

But it didn't matter. As Scott tore in through the front door, Nixie right behind him; Noah and his deputy were already there at the scene. And Deaton was nowhere in sight. Nixie looks at Noah in confusion for a moment, but it doesn't last long. Even before Scott asks how they knew to be there, Nixie knows Stiles must've called his dad in an attempt to prevent Deaton from being taken as well.

None of them had succeeded. And now it was getting personal. Not that this whole thing wasn't personal to begin with. What with an alpha pack out to get them and murders happening because the alpha pack was here. But now… now it was hitting at home. Now one of their own had officially been taken.

While Scott talks to Noah about the call Deaton had made to him, telling Noah everything without actually being able to tell him 'everything'; Nixie pulls out her phone and calls Isaac. The plan to try and protect Derek, to keep him safe, was something she had fully intended to help the boys with. And maybe she'd still get the chance. But right now, it wasn't looking that way.

Isaac answers, "Hey Nixie. Your timing couldn't be better. Tell Derek we're helping protect him, whether he likes it or not." "Sure. Pass the phone."

Derek sighs as he takes it from Isaac and says, "Look. I…" "Do not tell me you can take care of yourself. You very nearly died. How you didn't die, other than the fact that you are an alpha, is still a complete mystery to me. In any case, there is a plan. It's a good plan. I'm not saying it's a guaranteed to work plan… but it's a plan. Which is currently better than what you've got right now. So let them help protect you."

Silence for a moment, and then Derek sighs again and says, "Fine." "Good. Now, give the phone back to Isaac. I've hit a snag and need to inform him about it."

When Isaac has his phone back, he asks, "What snag? Are you alright?" "I'm fine. Deaton, on the other hand, is not. He was taken. And as of this moment, I'm helping Scott figure out how we might find him. So I won't be there to help you boys set up. I might not even be able to make it later, but I'll do my best. Keep me updated if you can." "Yeah, we're on it. Be careful Nix." "As careful as I can be."

Hanging up, she joins Scott at the counter just as Stiles walks into the clinic as well. Standing there together, they wait for Noah to finish his preliminary investigation. Then he comes over and puts a comforting hand on Scott's shoulder. "Look. We're gonna do everything we can. And right now, the best thing you guys can do is go back to school. Alright?"

They all nod at him… but not one of them actually believes they have any intention of going back to school right now. Scott gives a subtle nod for all of them to step into the back room for a moment, and after he's finally closed the door, he turns to face them.

Now, Nixie was aware they weren't going back to school. She was aware they were going after Deaton, and also trying to protect Derek. She was prepared for these things, and for Scott and Stiles and her to try and figure out the best courses of action to take on each of their parts.

She was not quite prepared enough when Scott simply said, "We have to tell him."

Which… well, Nixie isn't against. She'd originally been against Scott's mom figuring this out, and yeah, when Melissa had first found out about Scott, that had been a mess. But now, things were better. Scott and Melissa were back to having a close relationship, the way they always had. And when she could, Melissa now helped them figure out what the hell was going on in this town.

So yeah. Nixie agrees that Noah needs to be told… and most likely soon. But she's taken back by the suddenness of Scott saying it, so she's not the one to speak first. Instead its Stiles, who asks to clarify, "You mean 'tell him', tell him? Or tell him something else that isn't telling him what I think you want to tell him?" Scott sighs at the circular sentence and simply says, "You know what I mean?" Stiles huffs and asks, "You remember how your mom reacted?"

Nixie snaps herself to attention at that and says, "Oh yeah. That was a fun few weeks." Stiles points to her and says, "Exactly. She wouldn't even look you in the eye. For… what, a week? A few weeks? Anyway, the point is…" Nixie puts a hand on Stiles' shoulder to stop him short and injects for Scott, "But… she also got over it." Scott nods and adds, "And it actually made us closer."

Stiles sighs and rolls out a kink in his neck before saying, "I don't know guys. I mean, look at him. He's completely overwhelmed as it is." Nixie squeezes Stiles' shoulder and says, "That's because he has no clue what's happening." Scott nods and says, "He's got people dying in his town, the town that he's supposed to protect." Nixie nods as well, and adds, "And it's not his fault that he doesn't know what's happening. And… Stiles, Scott is our best friend. Like it or not… Noah is going to find out sooner or later."

She watches him mull that over for a second, and then asks, "Okay… but is now really the right time?" Scott simply asks in return, "What if not telling him now gets someone else killed?" Stiles almost glares at Scott while saying back, "What if telling him gets him killed, huh? I mean, okay, look… I get that Deaton's been like a father to you. Okay? I get that. But this isn't…"

Stiles has to take a moment to breathe, but finds it a little easier when Nixie finishes for him this time, "This is his actual father." Stiles nods and says, "I can't… I can't lose both of my parents. Alright? Not both. I…"

And Nixie understands that… more than her boys could know. Technically she did still have one of her parents. She had her mom. At least, in a physical sense. But mentally… mentally Naomi Bennett was gone. And given that she wasn't even allowed visitation rights to the unstable woman that had taken her mother's place… Nixie hadn't seen her own mother in years.

She already didn't have both of her parents. She knew what that was like. Losing one parent, for any reason, was already a terrible thing to have to go through. Losing both… it was an unbearable burden for a child. Nixie managed hers well enough for herself… but if Stiles lost Noah…

That couldn't happen.

And Nixie smiles in relief and approval when Scott nods understandingly and says, "You're right."

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie glances over when Stiles sighs and asks her, "I'm not, am I? Right, I mean? I'm not right." Nixie shakes her head and says, "I'm afraid not." "Why though? I mean… why…" "Because he's already in danger Stiles."

He turns to look at her, and she smiles gently, but says, "He's already the sheriff. And when things like this happen in his town… he's already going to be the one to go out at night and try to hunt down whatever criminal is causing all this destruction. The only difference right now, is that he has no idea just how terrifying these criminals… these monsters, really are. He needs more… he needs to know, if he's going to have a shot at fending all of this off and helping us keep this town safe."

Stiles stares down at her for a moment, and then sighs and says, "I'll tell him." Scott nods and says, "I'll help you." Stiles then looks to Nixie again, and he grins when she says, "Like you actually think I'm not going to take part in this. Please…"

But as they step back into the main front office… low and behold, there is Ms. Morrell. And she's talking about helping the police in whatever way she can to help find her brother. Her brother!

So… Deaton and Ms. Morrell are brother and sister. Go figure. While helpful, the vet is still a complete and utter enigma. Nixie will have to see if she can't have a talk with him after they get him back. There's some stuff that they should seriously just know about him by now that they still have no clue about.

But later. Much later.

As Noah and his deputy step outside, Morrell approaches all of them with purpose. "Listen to me, all three of you. No sheriff, deputy, or detective is going to be able to find him." Scott nods and says, "You don't need to ask us for help." "Actually, I'm trying to help you." Nixie glares and says, "Oh, bullshit."

Morrell turns her gaze to Nixie, and then says, "I get that you still don't like me, but right now, you need to listen. Because if you're going to find my brother, then you need to use the one person who might actually have an ability to seek out the supernatural."

Both Scott and Nixie give her a confused look, but when Stiles sighs knowingly, they both turn to him, silently asking who Morrell is talking about. Stiles simply looks at Nixie and says, "Lydia."

Nixie blinks for a moment, and then says, "We don't actually have any idea what it is that she seeks out. We just… we know she keeps finding dead people. And that she doesn't actually love Aiden, but is using him as an effective distraction against the… you know… finding dead people and hearing voices… thing."

Stiles gives her a look, and then says, "She's the only other person here who does have a connection to the supernatural… one that we can't yet explain. And if Deaton is supposed to be a sacrifice, then he's probably close to dying, so Lydia can probably find him… maybe."

They all think about that for a moment, and then Nixie says, "Right. So… I'm with you and Lydia. Let's go ahead and find her. And Scott… um… we'll let you know what we find. If you want me to come with you later, tell me. Otherwise, after we work with Lydia, I'm going to help Derek. Sound good?" "Absolutely. Let's go."

* * *

Cora had Lydia by the arm, squeezing tightly. And though Lydia had told her to let go and was putting on a brave face; Lydia was actually worried that Cora was about to do something hurtful.

That's when Cora's head got kicked so hard she span around two times before crashing to the floor. Lydia gasped briefly in surprise, but upon seeing Nixie now standing beside her, she sighs in relief and asks, "What are you doing here?" "Looking for you. Convenient timing, right?" "I'll say."

As Cora rises to her feet, rubbing her bruised jaw, she snaps her eyes to Nixie's and then flinches back when Nixie says, "Our chances of becoming friends just continues to keep dwindling, doesn't it. You keep this up and I'm gonna remove my number from your phone."

When Cora looks confused for a moment, Lydia steps in and says, "Honey, let's just say, that particular threat, is very real and definitely not something you want to go through. Trust me."

Nixie smiles over at Lydia, and then turns to Stiles, who says, "Chemistry room is empty. Let's try in there." Lydia looks from him to Nixie, and then asks, "Try what?" Nixie focuses on her, and then says, "We're… gonna try and tap into whatever it is that you do. We need to see if you can find Deaton." "Deaton? Scott's boss?" "Yep. Come on. We don't have a lot of time."

* * *

Ouija board? No. Psychometry, which was when Stiles put Deaton's keys in Lydia's hand to see if she could feel for his location? No. And automatic writing? Also a no.

Lydia thought the Ouija board was a completely stupid idea. The psychometry… not so much. The automatic writing was the best one she feels Stiles has come up with. And she is trying.

Mostly for Nixie's sake, as she has ended up pacing once again. Cora keeps a respectable distance away from Lydia to keep Nixie appeased, but that doesn't stop Nixie from making tracks in front of the desk.

As Lydia continues tracing out the tree that she's been continuously drawing the past few weeks, she says, "Honestly though guys, I don't even know why're bothering with me anyway. Especially since it's obvious you should be talking to Danny."

Stiles jerks his head to look at her, nearly falling out of his chair in the process, "Wait, what? Why Danny?" But then he looks at Nixie when she lets out an annoyed laugh before saying, "Of course. Obviously. God, why didn't I think of that?" Lydia, still drawing, simply says, "You can't think of everything Nixie. That's why it's called a pack."

She grins when Nixie leans forward to kiss her on the cheek. Stiles is still confused though and asks, "Okay… but why Danny? I don't…"

And then from the doorway, Scott says, "Because last night, he was a target. But he wasn't a sacrifice." Nixie looks at his bleeding shoulder and asks, "What the hell happened to you? I left you alone for like… not even thirty whole minutes." Scott grins and says, "Deucalion wanted a word. He gave me a clue… but I have no idea what it means yet. He said, 'Let the current guide me'. Whatever that means."

Nixie tilts her head, just as confused as him. Then she sighs and says, "Well, remind me to kick his ass." "Nixie…" "I didn't threaten to kill him! I threatened to kick his ass. Very big distinction Scott. Come on. Work with me here."

As they head out of the room later, Cora asks, "Isn't Danny still in the hospital?" Nixie sends her a short glare, and then says, "Obviously. Which is why that's where we're heading. Right Stiles." Stiles nods, and then they look to Scott when he says, "I'll meet you guys there."

He spins around when Nixie catches his elbow and yanks him back. Pointing her finger at him, she asks, "Where are you going? Last time I left you alone, you got stabbed." Grinning again, Scott says, "Relax. Alison texted me. Thinks she has something to show me. I'll keep you posted when I've learned something." "Good. Alright, off with you. But if you come back to me bleeding again…" "You'll probably hit me in the back of the head. Noted."

As he walks off, Cora leans closer to Stiles and asks, "What's with the hitting in the back of the head? Is she pissed at him or something?" Stiles chuckles and says, "No. Getting hit in the back of the head by Nixie is her own way of saying, 'I love you, but God you can be an idiot sometimes'. Basically just means she cares."

And Cora can't help but blush a little in embarrassment when Stiles sees her rub the back of her own head, and then he says, "Don't worry. You'll get there. Just… you know… stop hurting or offending people she already cares about. You have to already be in before you can do that and get away with it."

* * *

"Danny, are you awake?" Nixie raises an eyebrow at Stiles and says, "His eyes are closed, and his breathing is completely relaxed and even. What part of that makes you think he's awake?" "Oh, shut up and get over here." On Danny's left side of the bed, Stiles says, "Just… if he wakes up, distract him." "With what? He's gay, remember." "Right. I'll distract him. You… go through the bag." "You're not his type." "Well, one of us has to go through the bag!"

Nixie rolls her eyes, and then says, "Just… keep an eye on him."

As she's riffling through some of his books and papers, she freezes when she hears Danny ask in a tired voice, "What are you doing?" Lifting her head up to look at Stiles, who looks equally frozen for a moment, Nixie then says, "I'm… not doing anything Danny." Stiles nods, and then quickly adds, "This is just a dream that you're having."

Nixie looks up at Stiles with a face that clearly asks, 'What the actual hell?' But when Danny remains quiet, Nixie goes back to looking through the papers. She freezes again though when Danny asks, "Why are you going through my stuff?"

This time Stiles just jumps back in and says, "Right, but only in the dream. Remember? Dream. You're dreaming." And Nixie nearly starts laughing when Stiles waves his hands in front of Danny's face, like he's suddenly become a hypnotist or something and can magically convince Danny to sleep again.

Nixie starts searching again… but then huffs in annoyance when Danny asks, "Why would I dream about you going through my stuff?" She loves Danny to death, but right now she really wishes he'd just stay asleep.

Stiles is still trying to come up with a response, when Nixie looks up from the ground and says, "I don't know that Danny, okay? It's your dream. Take responsibility for it. Now shut up and go back to sleep."

She goes back to searching, and when Danny stops responding, Stiles whispers, "Nice." "Yeah, well, I can only take so much of this, starting and stopping, mess."

Finally, she pulls out a thesis that Danny had been working on, talking about the telluric currents that ran through Beacon Hills. Holding it up so Stiles can see, she smiles when he says, "Oh, Danny boy. You might've actually found something here." Nixie nods, and then says, "Alright, come on. We're borrowing this. We need to call Scott." "On it."

Once they're outside and Scott has told them about the six other locations that Deaton might be, Stiles says, "You might not have to search all of them. Danny was working on something for Mr. Harris' physics class, and Nixie and I think it might actually mean something." Over the phone, Scott asks, "What project?"

Nixie looks down at the papers in her hands and says, "Something on telluric currents. That's gotta be what Deucalion was talking about when he gave you the clue, right Scott?" "It's gotta be. Bring it to the clinic. We'll meet up there." "On it."

After hanging up, Stiles looks over at Nixie's bike and asks, "You driving separate?" "Obviously. I'm faster than you. But you've got to drive the girls. I'll meet you there." "Got it."

Once they all finally do get to the clinic and Nixie has taken Danny's thesis apart and is going through it, Cora walks in and asks, "Okay, so what does Danny's homework have to do with finding Deaton?" Nixie glances up at her, but let's Stiles take over as he answers, "Because it's not just homework. Okay? It's a project on… um… Nixie, what did you call this?" "Geomagnetic fields." "Right. That."

Nixie nods and then says aloud, "They flow through the earth, and they can even be affected by lunar phases, alright? Now, look at this. Stiles…" He pulls out a sheet of paper she'd set aside for him to see, and as he holds it out, he says, "This is a note from Harris on Danny's proposal."

Lydia leans forward and reads, "I strongly advise you to choose another subject. The ideas here, while innovative and thoughtful, border on pseudo-science. Not suitable for class." Leaning back, Lydia comments, "So… Harris wasn't just chosen as a sacrifice because he fit into one of the categories. He was picked…" Nixie nods in response and finishes, "Because he knew something about all of this."

Stiles then pulls out a map of his own and says, "Now, look at this. Chris wasn't the only one with a map. Danny has this one as well. And on this map, he marked all the telluric currents. And, on top of that, get what Nixie found out."

Scott looks over at her and asks, "What?" Nixie points to the map and says, "Beacon Hills was named 'Beacon' Hills, for a reason. It actually is a beacon. You wouldn't believe how much energy flowing through this earth is around this town in particular."

Scott nods, and as he continues to lay down the pictures he took of Chris' map… he points and says, "Guys, look. They match." Nixie moves her gaze between Scott's pictures and the map that was Danny's. Then she helps Scott sort them out, saying, "Come on. We're running out of time."

Grabbing a pen, Scott says, "Alright, we know there's three places. The place where they're kidnapped, and the place where they're found."

As Scott circles the areas in pen, Lydia points and says, "Look. They're both directly on a telluric current." Scott nods and says, "So maybe where he was sacrificed is somewhere in between." Nixie is still shuffling the pieces, when Stiles suddenly jumps up and says, "Let me see that."

Working with the map, Stiles says, "You said there's six more bodies to be found. Deaton's one of them. Got to be somewhere in between, right? So… what if…" As Stiles is working on figuring out a location for Deaton to be, Cora reaches out and stills his hand while saying, "Stop."

Cora doesn't miss how Nixie's eyes snap to her hand that's on Stiles, and then to her face. But when Nixie doesn't interrupt, Cora slides Stiles' hand across the map to a particular point, and then says softly, "He's in the vault. He's in the same vault."

Everyone freezes for a minute in surprise. Then Stiles jumps when Nixie breaks the silence and says, "Alright. You all heard her. Let's move." They hurriedly put away the maps and papers and everything else, but as Scott is preparing to run out the door, Lydia says, "Guys, hold on."

Turning back around, Scott says, "Lydia, we don't have time."

But as he sees Lydia standing next to Nixie, looking down to see the text that Boyd just sent her, Scott comes back in and asks, "What? What happened?" Nixie sighs and says, "The plan didn't work. Apparently, they cut the power. Son of a bitch."

Scott shakes his head and then says, "It's just like he said." Then he looks up at Nixie and everyone else, and says, "Go. I can save Deaton by myself." Stiles jerks around to look at him and asks, "What? Scott, what about us?" "Cora can't get to Derek fast enough without you." Looking specifically at Nixie, Scott orders, "You drive her. Stiles and Lydia… you guys follow. Go now. We can still save both of them."

And even as tense as this situation has become, Scott grins when Nixie says, "And that is why you are the alpha. Great plan and amazing confidence. Alright, let's go people! Cora, grab the spare helmet. And for the love of God, don't let go of me. If you fall off while I'm driving, I will leave your ass in the ditch and come back for you later."

* * *

The fact that Nixie was going at least thirty miles over the speed limit wasn't that shocking. Nor was the fact that, even though they wanted to get there as fast as possible, Cora was still squeezing Nixie so tight that she was afraid she'd end up with cracked ribs.

The surprising part, was that Stiles, in his old and busted jeep, was managing to keep pace with her. It was a testament to just how serious things had suddenly become tonight.

And thought Nixie can't explain it… she has a very bad feeling that something awful is about to happen.

When she passes through the gate and towards Derek's loft, Cora taps her on the side and then points towards the back of the building. Nixie swerves to head them in that direction, Stiles directly behind her. Hopping off, Cora then turns to them and says, "Come on. The breakers are this way." Nixie turns to Stiles and Lydia and says, "Go with her. Get the power back on. Text me when it's being done."

Stiles nods, but then snags her elbow as she takes off in the other direction. "Where are you going?" "I'm going on up to see if I can help any. Get the power back on Stiles. Go! Hurry!"

She sprints up the stairs to the loft as fast as she can, and then sees the twins holding Ms. Blake in their grasp in front of Derek's door. And if it had been anyone else… it might've been a problem for Nixie. But she already knew that she didn't like this woman, for whatever reason that might be. So she swerved around the twins before they could do anything to stop her, and splashes into Derek's main room, water still completely covering the floor.

The boys had done a good job. If only the alphas hadn't foreseen in. Damn it.

Isaac smiles upon seeing her, relieved to have her here. Boyd looks at her too with a smile, but then frowns all the same when she extracts two blades from her sleeves. He was worried, briefly, that the twins would try to do something to Ms. Blake, or Derek, or maybe even Nixie because she was interfering.

He should've known better. Though Kali snarled as Nixie came forward, one blade already managing to make a deep cut into Kali's thigh, the twins don't do anything. They briefly look at each other, as though wondering if they should, or if they were even on the same page right now.

And Isaac and Boyd both hear Ethan when he says, "You wanna try and take her out of the room, be my guest. I'm not touching her."

Derek, although concerned that Nixie may be in over her head, is grateful for her presence. Two on one might not exactly be a fair fight. But Kali was an alpha who had killed her whole pack for her power. Nixie didn't think 'fair' was exactly merited for her.

She slices into Kali's right foot at one point, to which Kali roars in rage. She spins around, in a blur that Nixie can't follow. And though she'd done a good job of dodging most of Kali's blows, or letting Derek block them and deliver one of his own, this one finally managed to catch Nixie. One long claw from Kali's left foot caught her right hip, digging in deep and ripping through the flesh as she finished her spin.

Nixie, for her part, doesn't flinch or stop fighting. Remember… she's been through worse. Much worse. She simply keeps on fighting, working with Derek to try and beat this alpha into next week, so she can tell Scott that they succeeded. That they saved Derek. That it had all worked out for today.

Which, she decides, was the problem in the end. She'd been too focused on what she'd felt she knew was supposed to happen… what she felt she knew she was supposed to prevent. Which was supposed to be Derek's death.

She feels her phone buzz in her pocket, and hears Isaac from somewhere behind her scream, "Now!"

Derek turns towards Nixie and grabs a handful of her jacket. He tosses her through the air immediately, back towards the door. Isaac catches her there easily, and then also grabs Ms. Blake and keeps them well away from the water.

The power trips back on, and the electric current that flows into the conductor that is the water on the ground shocks Kali, Derek, and even Boyd, who had moved to try and help his alpha. But they were all getting back up. They were all still alive.

That's when Kali looked to the twins and said, "Grab him!" They both run into the water and grab Derek, forcing his hands up and his claws to extend out as fully as possible. And as Boyd was still struggling to right himself and prepare for the fight, Kali picked him up, and then dropped him onto Derek's outstretched claws.

"NO!" But Isaac holds her fast and says, "Don't! You'll die. The current…" "BOYD!" He chokes and gasps while impaled on Derek's claws, and as Kali moves across the room and the twins release Derek from their grip, Kali says, "I'm giving you until the next full moon, Derek. Make the smart choice. Join the pack. Or next time I'm killing all of you."

Nixie glares at her and says, "Bitch, when I'm through with you, you will wish I'd just let you die." Kali smirks down at her, and then walks past her and out of the loft. Isaac keeps his grip on Nixie when she continues to struggle to get into the room, to which she says, "Let me go!" "I can't. The water is still…"

Calming enough to let Isaac know she wasn't about to attempt suicide by electrification, she leaves his grasp and then pulls out her phone, telling Stiles to cut the power again.

When she gets the confirmation that he has the power off, she doesn't wait to see if the water still holds any of the power or not. Derek looks like his normal human self again, so she rushes into the water to try and help them.

Derek is holding his hands over the wounds on Boyd's chest. And the young werewolf simply says, "It's okay." Derek shakes his head and says, "No. No, no it's not. It's not…" "It's okay Derek."

He lifts sorry eyes up to Boyd's and says, "I'm sorry." Boyd offers a small smile, and then says, "The full moon. That feeling. It was worth it."

When Nixie finally reaches their side, Boyd looks over at her. Smiling a bit wider, he says, "Thanks for coming." "Of course I came, you idiot. And stop talking like this. You're… you're gonna be…"

Boyd reaches out weakly for one of her hands, to which she gladly gives him both. Then he says, "Did you know it was the lunar eclipse? I always wondered… what that felt like, for one of us. For a werewolf. Erica… she and I… we…"

He closes his eyes in pain as it washes over him, and then he looks to Derek again and says, "Its okay." Then he looks back to Nixie. Pulling his hand from hers, wiping at a stray tear that's falling from her cheek, he says, "It'll be okay." "Boyd…"

And then he dies. Nixie watches the last breath he takes; the last rise and fall of his chest. He slumps forward and to the side, falling towards her. And though Derek made to possibly catch him, to prevent him from landing on her, Nixie simply shifted enough so she could help his falling body land gently in the water. His head resting in her lap, she simply stares down at his lifeless eyes and body, a few tears falling from her eyes and landing on his forehead.

She hears Stiles, Cora, and Lydia make their way up to the loft. She hears Stiles and Cora splash through the water to come towards them. She hears Cora crying and weeping over Boyd's body. They had been through much together while kidnapped by the alphas.

Nixie lifts her gaze to see Stiles putting a hand on Derek's shoulder. She sees Derek shaking… looking at his hands, as though wondering where they had come from, and who they actually belonged to.

She turns to see Lydia in the doorway… who finally seems to grasp just how terrible these guys are being. Aiden, whom she had been using as a distraction, had been a part of this. He'd helped force Derek to take Boyd's life.

Nixie knows she doesn't have to worry about Lydia with Aiden anymore. She can literally see that door being shut in Lydia's eyes. Lydia could overlook a lot of things at times… but this was not one of them.

The rain falling outside beats gently against the windows. And as Stiles looks around himself, he wonders briefly at the chill in the room. There even appears to be some frost forming at the edges of the water, and some closer around Boyd's body.

For a long time, no one moves. No one can seem to find it in them to function.

Stiles isn't surprised when Nixie's is the voice he hears first. Taking a breath, she says, "Stiles. Get them out of here. Isaac, take Derek's car. Get Ms. Blake home. Stiles can get everyone else in the jeep." Derek looks over at her and asks, "What about Boyd?" "I'll take care of him." "But…"

She snaps her eyes up to his and says, "You can't be here for this. I need time to make this go away from here. I need time to make it look like it happened somewhere else. And you can't know anything about it, in case someone does happen to ask you if you know anything." Back to Stiles, she says, "Get them out of here. All of them. Take Cora and Derek to Peter's place for now. Take Lydia home." Glancing to the doorway, she says, "Isaac. Go home. Let Scott know what happened."

Isaac nods, and then everyone slowly works themselves into motion. Lydia is the last to leave the doorway. Watching Nixie, who had yet to move a muscle, she says, "Nix… I just… I want you to know. I…"

She stops when Nixie says gently, "I know Lydia. I know." Lydia nods, and then asks, "Do you need anything from me? From any of us?" Nixie shakes her head and says, "No." Then, as Lydia is preparing to leave, Nixie says, "I might come over later. Spend the night. If that's…" "I'll wait up for you."

As soon as everyone is gone, Nixie brushes a hand over Boyd's face, closing his eyes. She looks him over for a while longer, still not quite able to believe he'd died. And she'd been so close. She'd saved Derek, and they'd been doing so well.

And now Boyd was dead. She shouldn't have even let him come here tonight. She should've put together this plan by herself. Maybe… maybe then…

Nixie shakes her head at herself. It would not do her or anyone else any good to focus on what might've been. Rising slowly to her feet, she pulls out her phone, finds the number she needs in her contacts.

Chris answers on the second ring, "Yes Nixie? I'm a little preoccupied at the moment. Can it…" "No. It cannot wait." He pauses for a moment, and then asks, "What's happened?" "Boyd's dead."

Again, there's silence. And this time Chris just waits for Nixie to tell him what she needs. Finally, she says, "I'm at Derek's loft. It's a bloody mess. I need help cleaning this up and making it look like Boyd was never here. And then I need to figure out what to do with him. Someone needs to find him, and quickly, so his parents can give him a proper funeral."

Nodding to himself, Chris says, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

After hanging up, Nixie glances down at her right hip. She was still bleeding a little… but mostly it had stopped. She would work on bandaging it later, when she was at Lydia's house. Or maybe Scott's house. She would probably need to talk to him before she went to sleep tonight.

She was still waiting, about five more minutes until Chris would arrive, when Scott called her phone and said, "I heard. Are you alright?" "I'm fine." There's a lengthy pause again, and then Scott says, "We… need to talk. Maybe it's a bad time, but…" "I seriously doubt we're going to find a time we think is good in all of this. What is it Scott?"

So he explains that Deaton saw his eyes turn red while he was trying to save good veterinarian. He explains that Deaton believes that Scott is what he calls, a true alpha. A werewolf that is a beta, who becomes an alpha without having to kill or steal the power. A werewolf who becomes an alpha based solely on the strength of his character, by his virtue and sheer force of will.

Scott waits for Nixie to comment on that, and when she does, he can't help but smile. "I'm not surprised Scott. You've always been the alpha of this pack. You're my alpha. And I don't think I've met a person more worthy of the title 'true alpha'."

And then Scott says, "There is a bit of a downside to this." "Of course there is. What is it?" "Deucalion. He knows. And he isn't after Derek. He's after me."

Silence again, and then Nixie sighs and says, "Well shit. What the hell are we going to do about that?"

* * *

And here is Chapter 7! Posted much later than I'd intended, but here it is. As always, Chapter 8 will be posted soon, probably sometime tomorrow. :)


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

So, I feel the need to give you guys another heads up. Nothing major, just a little 411. This is the episode of Teen Wolf where we are taken back to through the story of Derek and his first love, and also through why Deucalion became the way he was in Season 3. I, myself, did not include all the details of all these flashbacks in what I wrote. That was all in the past, a past where Nixie wouldn't have been, and I couldn't see a really good way to include all of that in this chapter.

Basically, the heads up is this. In order to have all the details of the past on Derek's first love and Deucalion, you need to have seen the episode already. My chapter here will give you highlights from Nixie's perspective. But not every little detail of those flashbacks will be here.

Hopefully, what I've written still makes sense for everyone, in spite of all that. And without further adieu, here is Chapter 8! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 8: Episode 3x8

The only reason Stiles is able to have a normal conversation with Cora right now, is because Nixie is aware that Derek is alright.

Well… normal for Stiles anyway. He's still pacing, and still going on down the list of reasons why he's concerned that Derek has just kind of, vanished for a while. But he's not throwing his arms around in a whirlwind of motion while yelling at Cora, telling her that the shit has hit the fan and they need all hands on deck.

But, while Derek hasn't contacted anyone else since the night Boyd died… he has made certain to at least send Nixie a text once a day. Typically around three, when she gets out of school.

He figures that would be the exact moment when she would decide that she could go out and search for him, if she needed to.

Cora sighs when Stiles says that Derek should help do something about all the bad shit happening around them, since everyone seems to be after him. Leaning against the table, she says, "I don't know. There's something different about him now. He wasn't like this when I knew him."

Stiles slows in his pacing, intrigued by this thought, and asks, "What was he like?"

They all turn to see Peter coming down the spiral staircase. And as he reaches the bottom, he says, "A lot like Scott, actually. A lot like most teenagers. Unbearably romantic, profoundly narcissistic… Tolerable, really, only to other teenagers."

He pauses at the last step when Nixie steps forward and says, "Unbearably romantic, I'll give you. But the only narcissist here, would be you. And everyone loves Scott. Everyone." Peter shrugs at that, and then gestures around the loft and says, "Nice job by the way. Even the smell of Boyd's death is only barely there anymore."

Nixie glares at him, but says nothing. When Chris had showed up that night to help her clean up the scene, she did so in silence. Chris only asked her a few questions. He'd had more… but upon hearing the very short answers she was willing to give him at all, he stopped at a few. After that, he simply told her what needed to be done, and they set about doing it.

The funeral for Boyd happened six days later. Chris made sure that he put the body in a place where it was sure to be found quickly. Nixie was insistent on that point, more than anything. And for that entire night, amidst the cleaning up and the placing of the body and even well after Nixie fell asleep with Lydia in her room… the rain outside never stopped.

Stiles looks over at her for a moment, and then turns back to Peter and asks, "So what happened? To Derek, I mean. What changed him?" Peter looks to Stiles, and then says, "Well, the same thing that changes a lot of young men. A girl." Stiles huffs and says, "You're telling me some girl broke his little heart? That's why Derek is the way he is? I mean… what…"

The slap to the back of the head draws Cora's attention away from Peter and to them. Stiles rubs the back of his head and says, "Owe! What was that for?" Nixie just gives him a look, and then turns back to Peter and demands, "How?"

Peter looks to Cora and asks, "Do you remember that Derek, before he was an alpha, had blue eyes?" Cora nods, and then Peter looks to them again and asks, "Do you know why some wolves have blue eyes?" Stiles shakes his head, but Peter looks at Nixie when he sees that he even has her intrigued. She still didn't like him… but right now he had her attention.

Stiles comments, "I just always thought it was, like, a genetic thing." Peter shakes his head and says, "If you want to know what changed Derek, you need to know what changed the color of his eyes."

Cora looks to Peter and is about to tell him to cut the theatrical talk and get on with it. But she doesn't have to. Nixie immediately jumps in and says, "I am listening, so long as you are providing useful information. The second I consider it a waste of time, I'm going to drop kick you through the damn window, and me and Stiles and Cora are going to find Scott and Alison."

And maybe Peter would argue, except that Stiles, from the other side of Nixie, shakes his head subtly. A very clear sign that Nixie was in a place right now where she wouldn't hesitate. She didn't have time for Peter's games, and wasn't in the mood to wait for useful information.

Boyd had died. Derek was in the wind for the most part. They were still trying to figure out what it was that Lydia did to find dead bodies. Stiles was still worrying about how and when to tell his dad that werewolves existed, amongst a great many other things. And to top it off, right now, Scott and Alison were talking to Gerard; trying to gain information and insight into Deucalion… why he was the way he was and why he was after what he was after.

Nixie wanted to be with them. She'd asked Scott repeatedly to let her go; or that they knew Derek was safe and that she didn't need to go and talk to Peter and Cora right away. But Scott had insisted that they needed to cover all their bases, and they needed to do it quickly. Time seemed to be running out, and they needed all the information they could get, as quickly as possible.

In the end, Scott used the fact that Stiles was going to see Peter, to his advantage. Scott could handle himself against Gerard, a man who was now sick and ill and couldn't even go anywhere without a wheelchair half the time anymore. But if Peter decided to get cute… if he decided to try and do something to Stiles and Nixie wasn't there to intimidate the shit out of him…

He knew Nixie would never forgive herself for that. So he won that argument in the end. He was still under strict instructions to keep Nixie up to date, and to let her know that he was still alive and okay every hour until he got back from seeing Gerard… but that wasn't really news to him. Keeping her updated had always been a rule, even before he was a werewolf. The hourly notice she wanted right now… probably still had something to do with the night at the motel, when he'd nearly burned himself alive.

Given how worried he knew she still was about that incident, he supposes he's lucky she's only asking for a text every hour rather than every fifteen minutes. So yeah… nothing new to him. And speak of the devil, Nixie glances down at her phone to see Scott's text, letting her know that he's fine, with Alison and Gerard, and will be back as soon as possible. Nodding and feeling a little bit better having read that, Nixie then looks back up to listen to what happened to Derek.

As Peter begins his story about Derek and his young love, whose name was Paige, he takes a seat on the couch. Stiles eventually sits down at the table, and Cora moves to sit on the table close to his right side. Nixie remains standing, and it's not lost on Cora that she keeps herself in a position that rests between Stiles and Peter.

It's not lost on Peter either. The girl was something extraordinary in his mind. It's why he'd thought changing her would've possibly been both a good idea, and a terrible one as well. She would make a fine werewolf, there was no question in that. She maybe could even have control of herself before her first full moon, given how stubborn she was.

But that was the catch to it… the part that would've made it bad. Nixie was stubborn. Or… perhaps that was the wrong word. No, she wasn't stubborn. But she was overprotective. And somehow, though she was still young, there was a firmness to her that most teenagers didn't have. Like she was somehow already set in her protective ways, and no amount of time or effort would ever weaken or change that. And Scott and Stiles were boy hers, along with Alison and Lydia… which, at the time, had meant that she would never be a beta or omega to Peter.

He's not even sure, if he had decided to turn her, that he could've ever had any control over her. There was something in those blue eyes of hers, something in the sharpness there. Something that let him know her loyalty could not be taken, bought, or acquired through any dark deed.

And she was Scott's. That would never change.

Stiles pauses Peter in his story and asks, "Okay, so if Derek was a sophomore back then, how old was he? How old were you?" At Peter's mysterious gaze, Stiles narrows his eyes at the man and asks suspiciously, "How old are you now?" "Not as young as we could have been, but not as old as you might think."

Giving him a look, Stiles says, "Okay. That was frustratingly vague." Turning to Cora, he asks, "How old are you?" "I'm seventeen." Back to Peter, Stiles points back at Cora and says, "See! That's an answer. That's how we answer people."

And then Cora adds, "Well, seventeen how you'd measure in years." Sighing, Stiles says, "Alright, I'm just gonna drop it. I mean, seriously, can't you people…"

Peter is about to comment, when Nixie turns to look at Stiles and says, "They don't age like we humans do. They were born werewolves. So from the moment they were born, their aging process has been at a decelerated rate." Pointing at Cora, Nixie says, "She's seventeen years old in the literal sense that she's been on this earth seventeen years. But figuratively, she probably hasn't reached that age quite yet. Her body can still function as though she were younger. And it'll probably still function that way when she's well into her seventies and eighties."

Shrugging, Nixie says, "Scott wasn't born a werewolf, so his age right now is exactly where it stands. But now that he is a werewolf, his aging is slowed down too. We probably won't notice it until later… but that's how it works."

Nixie looks to Cora to see if she's right, and Cora nods. Stiles gestures to Nixie and asks, "Why can't any of you just say that?" Peter raises an eyebrow, but actually smiles when Nixie says, "Because it's a mouthful, and to them, it's second nature. They don't have to explain it. They already know. We're the ones needing to catch up Stiles."

Then she turns back to Peter and says, "Now get on with the story. What happened to Derek and Paige?" Peter sighs and says, "What do you think happened? They're teenagers. One minute, it's 'I hate you, don't talk to me.' The next, its frantic groping in any dark corner they could manage to find themselves alone in for five minutes."

Nixie sighs and turns slightly so she can say to Cora, "I'm going to kill your uncle. Apologies in advance." Cora shrugs slightly and says, "I'll hold his arms down."

The grin that lights Nixie's face is worth it, and Cora smiles back before they turn back to Peter, who says, "Anyway… they're favorite dark corner was an abandoned distillery outside of Beacon Hills."

Stiles tilts his head oddly, and then asks, "Okay, hold up. How do you know all this? You just said that they were alone." Nixie nods, and says, "And it's highly unlikely that Derek would tell _you_ where his favorite make-out spot was." Peter gives her a look and says, "You forget that I wasn't always this person that you have decided you hate."

Nixie narrows her eyes and says, "I'm not so sure of that." Peter then looks to Stiles and says, "And back then, I wasn't just Derek's uncle. I was his best friend. His closest confidante. That's how I know."

Stiles listens as the story continues, but flicks his eyes to Nixie to see her reaction to that particular phrase. Derek's confidante? Even if Peter hadn't been quite as evil as was he was right now, even if he hadn't always been this way… Stiles isn't sure he believes that Peter used to be so good that Derek trusted him with everything.

And while Derek may have considered Peter a friend… while Nixie could maybe buy that bit of information… she didn't trust that Peter had been Derek's most trusted and relied on friend in the world. Peter may have been different… but no one's personality changed that drastically overnight, or even while in a coma.

She didn't believe him. There was some truth to his story. That much Nixie could believe. But she was listening closely, watching him with sharp eyes that she knew were making him fidget every now and then. Even now, Peter suddenly felt the need to stand and go to the window, felt the need to get up and move and leave her direct line of sight.

It didn't help much. Her eyes followed him like a hawk.

Cora watched her as well when she saw Stiles continuously casting glances in her direction. He was waiting on something, waiting for Nixie to tell him something or give him some sort of sign. And when Peter moved to the window, when Nixie turned with him to continue watching him, she looked down and met Stiles gaze.

A subtle and slightly aggravated shake of her head was all she gave him… but Cora saw that Stiles seemed to understand what she was saying. And when Stiles turned to see Cora watching him with confused eyes, he leaned closer and whispered for just her to hear, "She doesn't believe him. Not completely."

Peter traces out a mark in the fog forming on a pane of glass. He's reached the point in his story about the three packs meeting in the distillery to discuss the fact that the Argents had killed one of Ennis' werewolves inside. He told them about Talia Hale, Derek's mother, who had been a powerful alpha in her own right. And while packs didn't usually come together in a fashion such as this, they did come together to Beacon Hills to see Talia Hale. And they were all there trying to discuss what to do next.

Peter traced out the spiral on the window, and then explained, "Our mark for vendetta." He maybe would've said more on that, but he stops when Nixie says, "We know what the damn mark means. We saw plenty of it freshman year, when you were running around slaughtering people." Stiles nods and adds, "Man, you guys really take that revenge thing to, like, a whole new level, don't you?"

Nixie gives him a look, but then turns to Cora when she says, "It's not just revenge. Losing a member of your pack… it isn't like losing family." Then Cora, rethinking that for a minute, looks over at Nixie and says, "Except maybe for you."

She blinks in surprise at that, and then Nixie asks, "Me? Why me?" "We've all seen it now. You… you're a human… but you act like a werewolf half the time. A damn overprotective one at that. You… you know what it feels like."

Stiles looks to Nixie for a second, and then to Cora and asks, "How? How does it feel?" "It's not like family. Not… not in the way you would feel. You just hurt inside. But for a pack… it's like you lose a limb. It's like a part of you dies with them. Like they're gone, and they took a part of you away with them and for a while… it's like you don't even know how to function again. And all you see is hate for the people that did it to you."

Nixie doesn't respond to that comment, but Stiles looks her up and down and… well, he can't really argue. He will never, not in a million years, get the image out of his head the night Gerard had his men try to kidnap him. The fact that Nixie had come in and saved him… that was always expected. That wasn't the surprise. It was her eyes… it would always be her eyes that got him.

He could still remember the terror that had rested there… the fact that she could still see him, which meant so could the men trying to hold her down. The idea that he would still be taken, and that she might fail in protecting him.

Family meant everything to her. Her code for life. Family, above all else.

Maybe he hadn't understood what it meant to lose a member of the pack. Maybe it hadn't made sense to him to start with. But now… with Cora's comparison being Nixie's fear of losing any of them?

Stiles can understand that. The symbol was more than just revenge. It was a promise of the reckoning that was to follow.

And God help the idiot who ever managed to hurt or kill someone that Nixie cared about. The lowest pits of hell would seem like a saving grace to that poor bastard, after Nixie was through with him.

Back to Peter, Stiles nods and actually says, "Sorry." Cora blinks at him in surprise, but then looks up at Nixie with newfound wonder while Peter says, "They wouldn't even let him see the body."

Nodding, Nixie looks to Stiles when he asks, "Why not? We get in to see people all the time. We…" Nixie gently bumps the back of his head with her hand, and then says, "We have Scott's mom as a nurse to give us access, and your dad as a sheriff if we need to. Ennis probably didn't have anyone on the inside, considering he probably wasn't even from around here."

Peter nods, and then turns to Cora when she says, "I don't get it though. What does this have to do with Derek?" "Everything. It's never just a single moment. It's a confluence of events. Personally, I looked at Ennis' circumstances, I saw profound loss. But Derek… he saw something different. He saw opportunity."

Stiles gives him a confused look and asks, "Opportunity to do what?" And Peter simply says, "To always be with Paige."

Stiles was about to ask for more, but then looked to see Nixie's eyes narrowed again. She'd eased up on her glare as Peter had been telling parts of his story. The parts she believed. But upon hearing Peter talk about Derek seeing an opportunity in Ennis' loss… she had sharpened and hardened her eyes again.

She didn't believe him. He was twisting the truth again.

And as Stiles looked down at Nixie's hands, he could see that Nixie was trying very hard to not go over and punch Peter into next week. They didn't have time for lies and games… for Peter to try and make himself look like a better person than he really was. Nixie already hated him. She would never like him. Not ever. If he had a redeeming quality, Nixie could not find it, and no longer had a desire to look for it.

There was no point in him trying to seem better. Nixie would never agree or believe it.

Stiles put a hand on hers as Peter continued with his story of Derek and Paige. Pulling her back slightly, he turns to Cora just a little and says, "Keep an eye on her." Cora looks up at Nixie, then to Stiles and asks just as softly, "Why?" "Because she knows Peter's lying, and she's about ready to knock him unconscious. And I'm not against that… but we need to hear this. However little truth there may be in it… there is some, and we need to know it. So… just watch her."

Cora nods, and keeps her eyes on Nixie while Peter keeps talking. Nixie, for her part, heard Stiles telling Cora to watch her. It helped her calm down slightly. Stiles was right. They needed to hear the whole story, and at least get the main gist of it from Peter. Nixie could always ask Derek for clarification later.

Peter continues with, "The thing was, he had this constant fear. He was obsessing over it, thinking about it all night, all day. Always on his mind."

Nixie's hand tightens again as he keeps talking, but it isn't until Peter says, "I kept telling him not to do it." That's when her control slipped, and she nearly made her way across the room to try and knock him through the window. Hopefully, it would kill him. Scott would just have to forgive her later.

Cora was up in a flash, silently so as to not stop Peter in his story telling. She grabbed Nixie's wrist firmly, put her other hand in front of her stomach to hold her in place. Then she whispered in Nixie's ear, "Don't give him what he wants."

Nixie snapped her eyes to Cora, but then back to Peter as she whispered back, "What do you mean?" "I mean, ever since Stiles said you don't trust even half of what he's saying, I've been listening and smelling and paying more close attention. And yeah, he's trying to fool us a little bit. But I can feel it. He's also baiting you. He knows you don't believe him. He knows you want to kick his ass."

Nixie clenches her teeth for a moment, and then says, "I can kick his ass." "Maybe. Hell… probably. But, it is likely that you'll get hurt in the process. And we don't need that right now."

It was the 'need' part of Cora's sentence that made Nixie back down. Because Cora was right. They didn't need Nixie trying to kill Peter and getting hurt right now. They needed to hear this story through to the end. Then, maybe, she could think about shoving him out the window again.

As Peter continued with his story, eventually getting to the part about the druids and their importance to the pack, Nixie turns to Cora and asks, "Is that true?"

Cora blinks in surprise at the question. She still wasn't entirely sure where she now stood with Nixie. But… being that Nixie was now asking her a question that mattered to her, Cora nods and answered immediately, "The druids have always been important in the pack. They keep us connected to humanity. But they're a secret, even in the pack. Sometimes only the alpha knows who the emissary is."

Nixie nods and says, "Which explains why Derek didn't know that Deaton was one until recently." Peter turns to them and adds, "Or his sister. Morell." Stiles blinks and asks, "She's an emissary too?" Peter nods and says, "For the alpha pack." "Our guidance counselor?!"

When both Cora and Peter shrug at him, Stiles flails and asks, "Why the hell don't you people tell me any of this stuff, huh?! I shared some really intimate details with her." Cora nods and asks, "And did she give you good advice?"

Stiles pauses for a second to think about that, and then says, "Actually, yeah." Peter nods and says, "That's what they do. And that's what Deaton used to do for Talia."

Before Peter can start back in on his story, Stiles holds up his hand and says, "Hold up, just one second."

Then he turns to Nixie and asks, "Them two I kind of get. They maybe don't get that I would really like to be told all of these things… annoying as that is." Nixie nods, and then Stiles points at her and says, "But you aren't surprised about Morell. Why didn't you tell me?"

Nixie sighs and says, "First of all, I didn't know until recently. And… I wasn't sure. Not entirely. Now I am." "What do you mean?" "Alison told me that Morell was there the night Cora and Boyd were trapped in the vault with Scott and Derek. That's how the mountain ash barrier was finished." "And you weren't convinced she was an emissary after that!?"

Nixie sighs and says, "I wasn't sure what she was doing or why she was helping them. I didn't even know she was Deaton's sister until recently. If I'd known that sooner, I might've made the connection faster. But I didn't. So there. And besides, you haven't seen her for a session for a long time. If you'd been thinking about going back, I would've made telling you about it a top priority. But you haven't, so…"

Stiles sighs and then asks, "What about Lydia? She's still going to see that woman." Nixie nods, and then says, "Lydia is a different set of issues that we need to work through at some point. Bottom line… she needs the counselor. And I might not like Morell completely… but I don't hate her either. The woman can give good advice, given the proper motivation."

Stiles ponders that for a moment longer, and then grins a little and says, "You threatened her if she didn't help Lydia out… didn't you?" "Yeah, well, in my defense, I did that before I promised Scott that I'd keep my verbal threats to a minimum."

And as Peter looks up in surprise and is about to comment on that, Nixie points and says, "You are the exception to that rule. I already talked to Scott about it. I can threaten to kill you all I want, and even try if I find it necessary. So… in light of that, just get back to the damn story. What happened next?"

Peter continues on, explaining that Derek chose to ask Ennis for his help in turning Paige into a werewolf. Cora asks, "Ennis? Why would you choose him?"

Nixie grins slightly when Cora asks why Peter would choose Ennis… not why Derek chose Ennis. Cora was on board. Good.

Peter simply shrugs and asks in return, "Why not? Ennis needed a new member for his pack. Paige was young and strong. Doing a favor for Derek meant Ennis would be in good with Talia. Back then, everybody wanted to be in good with her."

Stiles then asks, "He doesn't remember that it was Ennis, does he?" Peter sighs and says, "If he does, he keeps it to himself." Nodding, Stiles asks, "So then what happened? Did Derek turn her?"

Turning somber, Peter says, "Almost. But… at the last minute… he seemed to change his mind. He came at Ennis. A fifteen year old boy against a giant. But by then… there was no reason for him to fight. She'd already been bitten."

Silence reigns for a moment, until Nixie says, "If you pause dramatically one more time, I'm going to take a page out of Derek's book and rip you damn throat out… with my own freaking teeth." Peter actually chuckles a little at that, and then turns to Cora when she asks, "So what happened? Did she turn?"

Sighing, Peter says, "She should have. Most of the time, the bite takes. Most of the time." Stiles narrows his eyes at him, and then says, "The night you took me off to help locate Derek, when you told me about biting Lydia… you said 'if it doesn't kill you…'" All eyes turn to Peter, who simply replies by saying, "If…"

Continuing on, Peter says, "When I finally found them, he asked me what was happening to her. He knew the answer though. It didn't matter that she was young and strong. Some people just aren't made for this." Stiles grits his own teeth now as he shakes his head sadly. Nixie closes her eyes to try and keep her own tears at bay.

Peter takes a breath and says, "She fought. She struggled desperately. Trying to survive." Turning to the others, he said, "But there was no hope. And… as the pain became too much for her to bear… too much for him to try and take from her and share with her… she asked and begged him to help her end it. She asked him to make it faster."

And Stiles watches as Nixie's eyes widen when Peter says, "And he killed her, to end her pain and suffering."

Peter had twisted the truth a lot tonight. He had manipulated facts and Nixie knew that most of what he said was only a small portion of the truth of what happened back then. But this part… the part about Derek helping Paige in the end. That was real. That was the truth.

Poor Derek. Nixie couldn't imagine. She'd sooner die for them, find a way to make their pain her own… before she could even begin to contemplate taking the life of someone who meant so much to her. It was an unbearable thought; an unbearable task. Nixie couldn't have done it. She was strong in a lot of ways… but that wasn't one of them.

Peter sighs and says, "I remember taking her body from his arms, to the woods, to a place where I knew that it would be found. Like you, Nixie, he didn't want her to be alone any longer than she had to be. Just like you when taking care of Boyd. And she became another in a long line of Beacon Hills animal attacks."

Tears in her own eyes now, Cora asks, "And what about Derek?" Peter nods and says, "Taking an innocent life takes something from you as well. Bit of your soul. Darkening it. Dimming the once brilliant, golden yellow to a cold, steel blue. Like mine."

He shines his eyes at them for effect. Nixie narrows her own gaze at him again, but doesn't comment. Now they knew. They know why a werewolf's eyes change color. And it has nothing to do with genetics. It has nothing to do with bloodlines or pack positions or anything like that.

It's a sign… a sign that a supernatural creature has taken an innocent life. Yellow meant you hadn't, that you yourself were still innocent of that crime. Either because you had control, or you had others that were helping you to keep it. And if the eyes were blue… it meant that you had taken someone's life. And it didn't matter what the reason was… once it was done, there was no turning back.

When the story is finally over, Nixie watches Peter return upstairs… probably fearing that he had used up as much of Nixie's patience as he dared for right now. Sitting next to Stiles, she glances at him and asks, "We're on the same page right?" "Oh definitely."

Cora looks between the two of them and asks, "What?" And as Stiles turns to her, she asks, "What's this look on your face?" Nixie looks at her too, so Cora asks, "What's this look on both of your faces?" Raising an eyebrow, Stiles asks, "What look?"

Rolling her eyes, Cora says, "The kind that would make me want to punch you if I didn't think it would piss Nixie off again." Nixie raises an eyebrow at that too, but Stiles just chuckles and says, "My God, you are so Derek's sister. To think, I almost forgot." Huffing in aggravation, Cora gestures at both of them and asks, "What is it?"

Stiles looks to Nixie again, and then says to Cora, "We don't believe him." "Why?" Stiles sighs and says, "I mean… I don't think I'd fully believe him anyway. But with Nixie not believing him on top of that… there's no way I trust a single thing he said… unless Nixie here verifies it. We're gonna have to go over this later and figure out what we need clarification on later."

Nixie nods, and when Cora still looks confused, Stiles simply says, "Don't overthink it. Nixie is good at this type of stuff. She knows when she's being lied to by people she hates. And she hates your uncle."

Running a hand through his hair, he then decides to explain a little more. "In Ms. Blake's class, we're reading 'Heart of Darkness'. And it's in first person, right? Narrated by Marlow. The thing is… he's an unreliable narrator. You know the details of it have changed, you know, just because of his perspective."

Cora nods and says, "Yeah. And we heard the story from Peter's perspective." Stiles nods and says, "Right, and I don't think we got the whole story."

For a moment they sit and think about that. Then Cora backs up and says, "So, hold on. Are you just gonna ask Derek about the girl he fell in love with and then killed?" Stiles shakes his head instantly and says, "No. Nope. I am not suicidal. I will not being broaching that subject with Derek ever. At all. Never."

Cora raises an eyebrow, and then asks, "Then how are you going to get clarification?" "Nixie's going to ask him." Cora looks to Nixie, and asks, "So… you have a death wish?" Nixie grins slightly before saying, "No. But Derek trusts me. Enough to know I wouldn't ask him about it unless I needed to know. Plus, Stiles thinks there's no way in hell he'd ever hurt me again."

Stiles flails slightly and says, "He wouldn't. You saw how sorry he was for all he put you through last year. When he first got back into town, we all saw it. He'll probably answer you instantly, and write you a book with all the information you want in it, if you ask him too."

Nixie raises an eyebrow, and then as she sees the gears in Stiles' head turning, she says, "I am not asking Derek to give me a biography on the girl he fell in love with and killed. I'll ask him for clarification on a few points. I am not going to ask him to relive it. Bullet points, and that is it. Enough to make sure I'm right about what I don't believe in Peter's story."

Stiles nods, and then stands up and says, "Come on. We should get out of here. We need to go compare notes with Scott." Nixie nods, but as she's standing, she glances up to where Peter is, and then back down to Cora. Nudging Cora with the toe of her boot, she asks, "Where are you staying?" Cora gestures around her, and then Nixie asks, "And where is he staying?"

Cora shrugs and says, "Here, I guess. He was here last night too."

Frowning deeply, Nixie says, "I don't like it." Cora grins slightly and says, "You don't like him." "Oh, make no mistake. I hate him. That's a fact of life. And because of that, I'm not fond of you staying here with just him." Cora nods and says, "I can take care of myself." "Not the point."

Cora rises to her feet and says, "He won't hurt me." Nixie watches her closely a moment more, and then asks, "You still have my number?" Cora has to bite back the smile that wants to spread on her face as she nods. Then Nixie points to her and says, "Then do not forget. You call me. For anything. And if you don't, I'm going kick his ass, then yours, and then I'm going to kill him for whatever it is he did to you. Understand?"

Cora nods again, and then as Nixie walks out the door, Stiles turns back to Cora and gives her two big thumbs-up. Beaming with pride, Cora walks back into the room, preparing to go to bed, as she hears her uncle from upstairs ask, "Why is everyone so hell bent on becoming one of Nixie's people?"

And though she's sure he didn't expect an answer, Cora says, "Maybe because it's nice to know you have someone like that. Someone so openly devoted to making sure nothing evil can touch you and get away with it. That even if she can't stop you from getting hurt, or maybe even from dying, that she will make sure whoever caused it doesn't get away with it."

Peter sighs from upstairs and says, "I just wish people would stop looking at her like she's an angel. She's not so innocent." Cora shrugs and says, "I think she is an angel. A warrior angel. One of God's finest."

And to solidify that statement, Cora says, "That's why when she says hell will freeze over… people believe it."

* * *

As I was scrolling through this, I realized for the first time that I actually didn't have any breaks in this chapter. How about that? :)

Chapter 9 to follow.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 9: Episode 3x9

When Scott pulled into the school parking lot, he wasn't surprised to see Nixie's bike already sitting there. And not even properly parked either. She'd pulled into the grass and left it leaning against an oak tree on the lawn… still running. When Stiles pulls up next to him, Scott points out the bike. Sighing in relief, Stiles says, "At least Lydia hasn't been here alone long. Maybe at all. Come on."

As they hurry towards the school, Stiles asks, "Where is she? You have her scent?" But then Alison's voice says, "We're here."

Scott and Stiles hurry in that direction, meeting Lydia, Alison, and Nixie all turning the corner towards them. Hurrying forward, Stiles asks, "Lydia? You okay?" "Mildly. But it's the same thing. Exact same thing as the pool. I got into the car, heading somewhere totally different, and ended up here." Stiles nods and says, "Thanks for calling Nixie first this time."

Lydia actually manages to smile at that. Taking Nixie's hand in her own, she says, "I didn't have to. Nixie came and found me before I even thought to call anyone." Stiles blinks in surprise, and then turns to Nixie and asks in utter confusion, "How?" Nixie shrugs and says, "She was heading to the gas station for a small tub of ice cream. It takes ten minutes at the most to go there, get the tub, and then come back. I looked up her phone with the GPS cite after eleven minutes."

Alison grins too and asks, "And what if Lydia was just taking her time perusing the store's ice cream selection?" Nixie raises an eyebrow and says, "Lydia enjoys vanilla, caramel swirl. Occasionally she'll switch it up and get some sort of mint ice cream. Either way, it never takes her more than like, a minute to figure out what she wants. Hence, the reason I waited eleven minutes, and not just ten."

When all four of them still look at her in astonishment, Nixie shrugs and says, "What? I'm not totally crazy. I can allow for a minute here and there." Scott chuckles and says, "I think we're more amazed by the fact that you have Lydia's taste in ice cream so memorized that you know exactly how long it will take her to go get and come back." Nixie shrugs again and says, "I can do that with all of you. Otherwise, you might end up missing and I wouldn't know about it until it was too late to do anything about it. Unacceptable."

Stiles puts an arm around Nixie's shoulders and says, "Good. But just so we're clear, if Nixie hadn't used her amazing, ninja-locating skills…" Lydia nods and says, "I would've called you. Both of you, since you both told me I was supposed to call one of you when there's a dead body."

Stiles drops his arm from Lydia and asks in horror, "Whoa! Back up. You found a dead body?" "Well, not yet." Flailing, Stiles asks, "Not yet? What do you mean 'not yet'? Lydia, you're supposed to call us _after_ you find the dead body."

Scott just shakes his head as they all hear the slap hit the back of Stiles' head. He jerks forward and says, "Owe! Really?" Nixie raises an eyebrow and says, "Yes really. Like we're supposed to just expect Lydia to always find the dead body by herself. Do you know how traumatizing that might be, every single time? You're lucky I don't hit you twice for good measure."

Stiles leans back from her as though worried she still might, which makes Lydia grin again. Then she says, "Anyways, so I guess now we can all look for it." Stiles turns to her and says, "I mean… alright, but how are we supposed to find it? Not that I'm suggesting you go off on your own again!" He looks at Nixie for a moment to make sure she's not about to hit him again, and then says to Lydia again, "But… well, you're kind of the one with the radar for this… thing. All we have is…"

Scott then says, "Guys. I found the dead body." Stiles sighs and says, "All we have is Scott and his keen sense of smell. In hindsight, I should've figured that would help." They all join him to see who it is, and then Stiles freezes and says, "Oh no." Nixie looks at her too, and then puts a hand on Stiles back and says, "I'm sorry Stiles. I'm so sorry."

* * *

Stiles is peering after his father the next morning, trying to be discreet and unseen. He's not very good at it where Noah is concerned though. He sees his son and immediately starts coming over. Stiles scrambles with his back pack for a moment and prepares to run, but Nixie puts a hand to his chest and says, "He's seen you now. What on earth is the point of running away?" "Avoiding confrontation?" "Stiles… that's never a good reason. Turn around."

He sighs and does so, finding Noah already behind him. Noah nods to Nixie with a slight smile, and then looks to Stiles and says, "Look, I know what you're thinking. I know you've got all of these ideas… both of you do. About patterns and people dying in threes…" Stiles flails again and says, "Dad, murdered? Okay?" Nixie nods and says, "Sacrificed, actually. If you want to get technical."

Noah nods and holds up a hand for them to calm down. Then he says, "I've got half the state, including the FBI, coming in on this. They're not getting away with killing one of our own." Stiles just looks at him for a minute, and then his shoulders slump sadly as he says, "Dad… they killed Tara. You know… before we met Nixie, how many times did she help me with my math homework? How many times did she proofread Nixie's own papers so even she could get a better grade on them?"

Nixie nods to that, and Noah sighs sadly himself. He squeezes Stiles shoulder comfortingly, and then leans forward to kiss Nixie on the forehead. Then he says, "Look. Both of you need to get to class. I'll keep you updated on this. I promise. Now go, alright?" Nixie nods as Noah walks away. Stiles huffs and says, "It's getting too close to home. I mean… how many…" "Don't ask it Stiles. And don't think it. Let's just get to class, find the others, and figure out what our next step is. Alright?" "Alright."

* * *

After Ms. Blake finally leaves them alone, talking of idioms and questioning Stiles about chess, Scott turns towards Stiles and says, "I think I can get to Ethan. I'm pretty sure I can make him talk." Nixie, sitting behind Scott, leans forward and says, "Well, he is the one I hate the least. Worth a shot I guess." Stiles glances as Ms. Blake, and then asks, "What do you want to do that for?"

Scott says, "The druids are emissaries, right? So what if the darach was an emissary to the alphas?" Stiles blinks and asks, "You mean before Morell was their emissary?" Nixie, from behind Scott, shakes her head though and says, "No… no, I get it. You think maybe she was an emissary to the pack they had before they killed them all. You think maybe the darach was an emissary before the alphas became an alpha pack."

Scott nods with a smile at her. Then they both turn back to Stiles when he says, "Okay, first of all, I cannot believe that we've gotten to the point where a sentence like, 'what if the darach was an emissary to the alphas', actually makes sense to me. And second of all, we're gonna have a huge problem getting to Ethan."

Confused now, Scott asks, "What problem?" But Nixie can already see where Stiles is going with this. Sighing, she says, "Aiden. Shit." Stiles nods and says, "We'll never get to even talk to Ethan if we can't separate those two."

Scott nods, and then they all mull it over for a moment. Then Scott turns to look at Nixie specifically. Raising her eyes to his, she asks, "What?" "Can you call him?" "Ethan?" "Yeah." Giving him a confused look, Nixie says, "Um… I don't have his number. And I mean… I guess I could ask Danny, but…"

Lydia leans forward from her seat behind Stiles and says, "I have his number. Aiden gave it to me a while back." Nixie nods to her in appreciation, and then turns back to Scott and asks, "But why do you want me to call him." "Because if you tell him that you need to talk to him, and that he needs to come alone, he might listen." "Why?!"

Scott raises an eyebrow, but then grins and says, "Because I've seen it. He knows how important your opinion is to all of us… and that includes Danny. If you tell him you need to talk, he'll come. He does care about Danny. He wouldn't risk losing him over simply not speaking to you. So… please?"

Nixie sighs and says, "I think all of you overestimate my powers of persuasion. But fine. Lydia, give me the number. I'll call him after class. But even if I do that… I've seen them in the halls. Aiden is on Ethan like a hawk now. So… how can we help Ethan avoid him for a while?"

There's a lengthy pause in which they all think, and then Scott and Stiles both turn to look at Lydia. Nixie looks up at them again, and then glances at Lydia as well. Lydia looks at all three of them, and then sighs and says, "I can distract him… for a while at least. It won't last long. I… I can't… I can't forget what I saw that night. I can't forget that he helped kill…"

Lydia doesn't finish, but looks over at Nixie. She nods back and says, "We'll be quick Lydia. Only do what you're comfortable with. And if he tries to push, yell. I'll come castrate him for you." Lydia smiles a little and says, "Don't exaggerate Nixie."

"I'm not exaggerating. Do you know how many knives I have on my person as we speak? Just say the word and 'snip, snip'. No future wonder twins will ever be walking around this place, no matter what."

* * *

When they meet Ethan at the stairs while Lydia distracts Aiden, he listens for a moment while Scott talks. Then he asks, "Why are you even talking to me? I helped kill your friend. How do you know I'm not gonna kill another one?"

Nixie disliked him the least. Didn't mean he wasn't still stupid.

Ethan watched in slight amazement as both Scott and Stiles backed up a step and out of the way while Nixie surged forward. Glaring at him, showing pointedly already just how big of a mistake that was, she then says, "Is that a threat? An actual threat? Are you seriously so stupid that, right in front of me, you threatened to hurt and kill one of my boys? Because I shit you not, I will go out and break off an huge branch of mountain ash, wrap it in wolfsbane, roll it in mistletoe and shove it so far up your freaking ass you will wish and pray to God that you…"

Scott grabs her elbow and says, "Whoa! Nix… okay, we get it." "I know you two get it. Does he get it?!" Ethan stares at her for a moment more, and then nods slowly and says, "Got it." "Good. God, why do you people have to be such dumbasses?"

She moves back to stand next to Stiles though so Scott can keep talking. Back to Ethan now, he says, "We're talking to you, because we know you didn't want to kill Boyd. And I think that if something like that happened now, you wouldn't do it again."

Ethan looks at Scott for a moment, and then switches his gaze to Nixie. Shaking his head a little, he says, "You don't know what we owe them. Especially Deucalion. We weren't like Kali and Ennis when we met him. We weren't alphas." Nixie tilts her head at him while Scott asks, "What were you?"

Taking a breath, he says, "Omegas. In actual wolf packs, omegas are the scapegoat. They're the last to eat, the one who has to take the abuse from the rest of the pack." Stiles jumps in and asks, "So you and your brother were, like, the bitches of the pack?"

Ethan knew better than to threaten Stiles again. He wouldn't have done so.

But it was still slightly gratifying, for reasons he didn't even really understand, when he watched Nixie's hand come up like a reflex and slap Stiles lightly in the back of the head. Jumping in surprise, Stiles asks, "What? He…" Nixie just gives him a look and says, "Uncalled for." Then she looks to Ethan and asks, "But… accurate?" Ethan nods and says, "Something like that."

Scott turns back to him, after grinning slightly at Nixie, and then asks, "What happened?" "They were killers. I mean… people talk about us as monsters. Well, they were the ones who gave us the reputation. And our alpha, was the worst of them."

Stiles glances at Nixie briefly, but then asks anyway, "So… why didn't you guys just fight back? You know? Form Voltron Wolf? Kick everyone's asses?" Ethan snaps his attention to Stiles and says, "We couldn't! We didn't know how to control it back then." Scott nods and says, "Deucalion taught you." Ethan nods and says, "And then we fought. We took down the whole pack, one-by-one. And by the time we got to our alpha, he was begging for his life."

Vibrating with pent up rage at the memory, Ethan adds, "And we tore him apart. Literally." Nixie lets out a breath and says, "Noted. Violent streak." Before Ethan can comment to that, Scott asks, "What about your emissary?"

Ethan shakes his head sadly at that. Perhaps out of all of his old pack, that had been the one he was actually sorry about killing. Scott sighs and asks, "They're all dead? Kali and Ennis' too?" Ethan nods and says, "All of them except for Deucalion's." Stiles asks, "You mean Morell?" Ethan nods, and then Stiles looks at Nixie and asks, "What do you think? Darach material?"

She thinks about that for a moment, and then says, "Not in my opinion. I don't like the woman… but I don't think she'd be capable of something like that. And I certainly don't think she would've had anything to do with kidnapping Deaton… even if she felt certain Scott could find him in time."

Stiles is about to ask another question, when Ethan suddenly gasps. Nixie watches his hand rise to his chest in pain, and then asks, "What? What's happening?" Ethan looks up and then blinks in surprise when Nixie is suddenly in front of him, removing his hand so she can try to see his chest. Scott asks, "Are you hurt?"

Ethan still stares down at Nixie for a second, and then says, "Not me. My brother." Nixie freezes altogether for a moment. Then she stands up straight and says, "Time's up. Let's go." Ethan watches as all three begin walking away, and then he asks, "Wait. You're going to find him? To help him? I thought you didn't like him."

And though she doesn't turn around, Nixie answers him with, "I don't. But I am very attached to the person who was supposed to distract him. And so help me, if she's hurt because she's with him, I will still kick his ass, whether he's still hurt or not."

When they finally arrive in the locker room, Aiden has already smacked Cora across the face with a heavy weight. And he would've continued, even with Lydia trying to half cover Cora with her own body.

Scott and Ethan both grab him, but he still seems to push forward. Well, until he hears Nixie's sharp, "Hey!" It was her tone, as usual, that got to anyone. It wasn't a tone that threatened death, or even promised immense suffering right now. It was simply a tone that let you know, she thought you were being a complete and utter idiot.

Looking over at her, Aiden starts to growl. But Nixie doesn't even flinch. She simply points to the two girls and says, "You already hurt Cora. Consider yourself on the list of people I get to punch daily for the rest of my life. And so help me, if you hurt Lydia at all while you're trying to hurt other people… I will break you in half."

Scott sighs and says, "Nixie. We talked about…" "I didn't threaten to kill him! Yet. I threatened to break him in half. He'd heal. Eventually."

Ethan looks at her for a moment, and then turns back to his brother and says, "Aiden, you can't do this." "She came at me!" "It doesn't matter! Kali gave Derek until the next full moon. You can't touch him or her!" Aiden stares down at them for a moment, eyes finding Lydia eventually.

Lydia just looks up at him with disdain, a slight amount of fear, and then also disappointment. Then she looks over and says, "Nix."

Nixie switches her gaze to the two on the floor, and then moves to join Lydia at Cora's side. As Ethan takes Aiden out of the room, Stiles bends down too and says, "Guys, I think she's pretty hurt."

And in spite of everything, he grins along with everyone else when Nixie says, "She just got bashed in the face with a weight being swung by an alpha wonder twin. Of course she's pretty hurt. In fact, she's very, pretty hurt. And maybe we shouldn't call it pretty. How about ugly hurt? Seems more appropriate."

As Stiles and Lydia work on sitting her up, Nixie gets a text from both Isaac and Alison. Reading them both through carefully, Nixie says, "They found something. Or… more of something. Isaac helped Alison see that the map on Chris' desk was over-top of a five-fold Celtic knot. And each fold has a different set of sacrifices in it. Virgins, Warriors, Healers, Philosophers, and then Guardians."

When Cora opens her eyes, Nixie shoves her phone away and says, "Come on. Let's see if we can't clean that up." While she's tending to the wound on Cora's head, Scott asks, "Are you alright?" To which Lydia responds for her, "She doesn't look alright."

Cora gives them all an annoyed look, and then says, "I'll heal." But as she makes to step back, she nearly falls over again. Catching her arm while Scott and Stiles grab her other side, Nixie says, "Okay, let's just take it easy." But Cora pulls away from them and says, "I said I'm fine."

Nixie shrugs after that, dropping the cloth she'd been using to clean Cora up back into the sink. Crossing her arms and leaning against the wall, Nixie says, "Fine. Excuse us for being concerned. So if I slap you in the back of the head right now for being, literally, the stupidest person I've had to deal with today, you wouldn't just keel right back over onto the floor?"

Cora doesn't respond to that, and then looks over at Stiles when he asks, "Seriously… do you realize how suicidally crazy that was just now? I mean… what were you thinking, going after them?" "I did it for Boyd. None of you were doing anything."

Scott sighs and says, "We're trying." "And you're failing. You're just a bunch of stupid teenagers, running around thinking that you can stop people from getting killed. But all you do is show up late. All you really do is find the bodies."

Cora is confused for a moment when Stiles rushes forward towards her. That is… until he rushes past her and Cora turns to see him snatching Nixie's hand out of the air, where it had clearly been raising to try and slap her in the back of the head. Eyes as piercing as they've ever been, Nixie glares and says, "You are the most pathetic, dumbass werewolf I've ever had to put up with. And I put up with your uncle, so that says a lot."

Stiles grips her wrist tighter and says, "Probably still not a good idea to hit her though. She's still probably got brain trauma. Okay? It's…" Nixie snaps her gaze to him, but he doesn't move. Finally, Nixie relaxes her arms so he'll let her go. Then she looks to Cora and says, "Just get the hell out. At least we're trying, and at least we'll live long enough to see Deucalion and his alpha pack fail. We'll live to see this darach die and we'll stop his or her plan somehow. Contrary to what you think, we're actually getting pretty good at this. And maybe we do show up late sometimes. We can't help that. But at least we show the hell up. What the hell do you do, except run around like an idiot, trying to get yourself killed? Or runaway and hide and leave the fight altogether?"

Leaning against the wall again, Nixie says, "Just get the hell out of here. And so help me, if you call me at any point in time for anything right now, I will break all the bones you have in your hands… repeatedly, for three days straight."

After she's finally gone, eyes downcast slightly, Stiles sighs and says, "Yeah, she's definitely a Hale. Only Hales have the ability to piss Nixie off this much." Sighing, Nixie says, "Don't jinx it Stiles." "Right. I'm gonna go make sure she gets home." Nixie nods and says, "Keep me posted." "Actually, could you come with?" "She won't try to hurt you." Stiles nods to that, but adds, "No, but she might try to do something else stupid if it's just me, and she won't if you're there."

Nixie lets out a long and frustrated breath, but finally nods. Turning to Lydia, she asks, "You good?" "I'm fine. Promise." "Good. Both of you, don't do anything new or strange without telling me first. Alright. I need updates people. Like, every hour, on the hour. Maybe more frequent than that. We're talking about human sacrifices people. I need to know you guys haven't been taken, at like, all times."

Both Lydia and Scott grin at her, and then as she walks with Stiles after Cora, Stiles says, "This is really stressing you out, isn't it?" "The sacrifices? Absolutely. I mean… these categories bring certain people and things to mind… but it's not like they're actually all that narrow of fields to look at. I mean… Lydia could definitely be seen as a philosopher, if all that's required is you be really smart and insightful. No one needs a PHD for that."

Nodding, Stiles grabs Cora in the hall, and then they all pile into Stiles' jeep. He'll bring Nixie back for her bike later. As they're on their way to getting Cora home, Nixie calls Alison back and puts the phone on speaker so she can explain to Stiles in more detail what she and Isaac found.

After they talk about it a bit more, deciding that since Tara was killed last night, it's probably forms of law enforcement that the darach is after, Alison says, "Stiles, you have to tell your dad. Tell him whatever you have to, but you have to get him to believe. Warn him Stiles." "Okay, okay, I know!"

After hanging up, Stiles sighs and then glances at Nixie in the rearview mirror and asks, "You with me?" "Always." Cora turns to them and asks, "What are you going to do?" Stiles says, "I'm gonna tell him the truth. And I'm gonna need your help." Cora blinks and says, "I thought you just asked Nixie if…"

Nixie leans forward and says, "He was making sure I was planning on sticking around to help tell Noah about all of this. It was possible that I needed to be elsewhere, but not anymore." Cora nods, and then asks, "And what do you need from me?" Stiles speeds up while saying, "Visual confirmation that what we're saying is true."

Silence reigns for a moment, and then Cora nods and says, "Okay. I'm in."

And Stiles grins when Nixie says, "Good. You might not be a total dumbass after all. Still pretty close right now… but maybe not total."

* * *

"Okay, okay, okay… Yes! Okay…" Stiles looks at his dad for a moment, breaking off from his frantic pacing, but then goes back while saying, "No. Um…" Noah sighs and says, "Stiles…" "Dad, I'm sorry, okay? I'm just… I'm trying to… I'm just trying to figure out how to start here." Noah nods, but says, "Hey, I don't have this kind of time."

Nixie takes a step forward from the doorway into the room, giving Noah a look that clearly says, 'that statement is definitely not okay'. He should always have time for Stiles. If the apocalypse is on the horizon… still find time for Stiles.

Stiles thinks a moment more, and then says, "Um… okay. For the last year, you've had all these cases that you couldn't figure out, right? I mean, all the murders involving Kate Argent, and then Matt killing all the people who had drowned him, and all these murders right now. It's like… it's like you've been playing a losing game."

Noah gives him a harder look and then says, "Stiles, the last thing I need right now, is a job performance review, from my own son." Stiles runs his hands through his hair as Noah makes to possibly step out of the room. But Nixie steps up beside Stiles and puts a hand on Noah's chest. "Nixie… I…"

She sharpens her gaze onto his and cuts him off by saying, "That is not what Stiles is trying to do. And you know that. Do not take your frustrations with this case, out on your son." Noah sighs down at her, but then nods and says, "I'm sorry. But guys… if there's going to be a point here, I need you to get to it faster. I've got FBI waiting at the station to help put together a board that has all the facts to try and figure out who exactly we should be looking at here."

Nixie nods, and then spots the chess board over Noah's shoulder. Eyeing it for a moment, she then says, "Stiles. Chess board." Stiles looks at it too, and then nods and says, "Okay, see, that's just it Dad. The reason… the reason that you're losing the game is because you've never been able to see the whole board."

While Stiles opens up the box, Nixie moves to get sticky-note cards and a couple of pens. When she brings them back, Stiles says, "We need to show you the whole board." Turning to take a pen from Nixie, he asks, "Who do you have?" "I've got ours and Lydia. You get the Argents and the alphas." "Right."

As Nixie begins to write, she looks down at her phone to see who texted her. Seeing Lydia's name, she swipes to see what's new, and then sighs. While writing down Scott's name, Nixie says to Stiles, "By the way. Mr. Westover is missing. Lydia says so." "Damn it." "I know." "Do you need to leave?" "No. Currently she isn't finding a new body. She just knows he's missing. She wrote a two on the board without knowing why. She thinks it means he's going to be the second murder of the new sacrifices."

Stiles nods, but then blinks and says, "He's not a guardian. I mean… he's not law enforcement. He…" "Stiles, we can only do so much at once. Right now, we have to convince you're dad we're correct. Let's go."

As soon as they get the names on the pieces, Stiles sets them up and explains to his dad what every single person really is. Noah stares at it for a moment after that, and then asks, "Scott and Derek are werewolves?" Stiles sighs in relief, sitting across from his dad, and says, "Yes."

But Nixie isn't relieved. Noah isn't talking like this somehow makes sense to him now… like everything is suddenly falling into place. She hadn't figured it would be that easy. That's why she was here. Where Stiles could sometimes be extreme in his exaggerations, Noah usually took what Nixie had to say at face value. Even her threats against other people… because they were all very real, if it came down to that.

Gesturing to the board, Noah asks, "And Kate Argent, was a werewolf?" Stiles shakes his head and says, "No, hunter. That's… purple's hunter." Cora nods and tries to help and add in, "Along with Alison and her father." Noah nods towards her, and says, "Yeah. And my friend Deaton… the veterinarian, is a kanima?"

Stiles shakes his head again and says, "No, no, no… he's a druid." Nixie tilts her head at that one and admits, "Well, we think." Noah looks up at her, and then asks in more confusion, "So who's the kanima?" Nixie points and says, "Jackson." "No, Jackson's a werewolf." Stiles nods and says, "Right, but Jackson was a kanima first, and then Peter and Derek killed him and he came back to life as a werewolf."

Noah stares at his son for a moment, and then looks back to Nixie when she says, "Yeah, we don't exactly understand how that worked out either." Nodding, he asks, "And now he's in London?" "Yep." Sighing and pointing to the board again, Noah asks, "Who's the… Darack?" Stiles points and says, "It's 'darach'." Nixie nudges him and says, "Not important right now." "Right, sorry."

Cora jumps in again and says, "We don't know yet." Nixie and Stiles both nod and point to her, and then Noah asks, "But he was killed by werewolves?" Stiles nods and says, "Slashed up and left for dead." And Nixie follows behind him with, "We think. Also, it could be a 'her'. We're not positive on that front either."

Noah leans back in his chair and sighs again, eyeing the board, sizing it up if Nixie had to describe what he was doing. Then he asks, "Why was Jackson the kanima?" Stiles sighs and says, "Because sometimes the shape that you take reflects the person that you are." Nixie nods and says, "And apparently self-centered, slightly narcissistic, jackass… equals kanima."

Noah looks to them both, and then asks, "And what shape would an increasingly confused and angrier-by-the-second father take?" Stiles doesn't even pause or let any silence enter the conversation. He simply says, "Uh, that would be more of an expression… like the one you're currently wearing." "Yeah."

As he stands up to try and leave, Nixie moves in front of him again and says, "Noah, wait. We can prove it, alright?" Gesturing for Cora to stand up, Nixie says, "She's one of them. Okay. She's…" "Nixie…" "No, I'm serious, she's a…" "Nixie!"

She blinks and takes a step back from the man, who then says sternly, "That's enough. I half expect some of this from Stiles at this point… but you?" He shakes his head at her, and Nixie can't find it in her to try and move in front of him to stop him again. Stiles moves to put his hands on her shoulders while saying, "Dan, can you please just hold on?"

He gestures to Cora and asks, "You ready?" She nods, moving to Nixie's side, watching as Nixie's eyes scan the room as though looking for the exact place and point in time where she failed so badly that Noah had yelled at her like she was such a big disappointment.

Stiles squeezes her shoulders comfortingly, and then looks up to his dad and says, "Okay, dad, just watch this, okay?" But as Cora is getting ready to shift, her eyes roll back in her head, and she begins slumping to the ground.

Nixie, since she was still turned the other way, lunged after her and caught her before her head could hit the ground again. Slowing her descent, holding her head in her lap, she pushed some of Cora's hair aside to see the blood stain still there and still flowing slightly. "Shit."

Noah is at her side as well, and he looks up at Stiles and says, "Call an ambulance. Now." Nixie holds her head steady and whispers in her ear, "It's alright Cora. I've got you. We're gonna get you some help." Sitting back up, Nixie sighs and says, "Foolish girl. Complete idiot. If you die on me, I'm going to give you something to really faint about."

* * *

At the hospital, while Nixie and Stiles are waiting for Noah to come back to them and give them a report on Cora, Nixie's phone rings. Picking it up and moving into a more private room, she puts in on speaker and says, "I've got Stiles with me. What's up Scott?" "It's not guardians." "We know. Lydia told me Mr. Westover is missing. So if it's not guardians, then it's…" "Philosophers, as in teachers. Alison and Isaac just found Mr. Westover's body. He's dead." Sighing, Nixie says, "Great. Just peachy."

Stiles sighs too, but then says, "That's makes sense though. Tara, she wasn't always a cop. She used to teach middle school. It's why she was so good at helping me with math homework and you with your papers, Nixie." Nixie nods, and then looks back to the phone when Scott says, "Then the last one's gonna be another teacher." Stiles runs a hand through his hair and says, "Yeah, but there's dozens of them. And they're all headed home. How are we going to…"

Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose and says, "No. No, they're not going home. The recital that Ms. Blake put together. They'll all be going to that to show their support." Stiles and Nixie look at each other, and then Nixie takes it off speaker and says, "Scott, we'll meet you there as soon as we can. We're gonna try to find Noah one more time and convince him. We'll see you soon." "Got it."

Hanging up, she follows where Stiles is already racing out the door to find his dad. When she catches up, Stiles is trying a different approach, asking his dad, "What did you see the night at the bank when Scott was trying to save Deaton?" Noah sighs and says, "Nothing." Stiles gives his father an incredulous look and says, "Dad, you saw him healing himself after he tried crossing the mountain ash." Noah throws a hand up to ward off any more of what he must think is nonsense, and then says, "I don't know what I saw." "Dad, you saw something you can't explain."

Turning to face them abruptly, Noah says, "Stiles, I've seen a lot of things that I can't explain in this town. That doesn't make them supernatural, and it doesn't make them real. They just found another body. That's real. And that's the lead I'm following." But as he turns to leave, Stiles still follows him and says, "Dad, another teacher's gonna die if you don't start listening to us."

And Noah finally blows a fuse, turns around and yells, "I am listening! I have been listening!"

But Stiles isn't directly in front of him anymore. As much as she hated being yelled at by him… Nixie doesn't think Stiles could handle it any better. She pushed him behind her, and kept her face to Noah's as he yelled at them. She made herself a barrier between them, and Noah's face softened a little as her glaring eyes looked up into his face. She'd never glared at him before… not like this.

Stiles is staring at him, almost like he's never seen him before. And then he says softly, "You just don't believe." Noah shakes his head at his son, as though in disbelief that Stiles is still trying. But as he turns to leave again, Stiles says from behind him, "Mom would've believed me."

That draws Noah up short. Stiles nods to himself, and then gently takes Nixie's arm and says, "Come on Nix. We've got work to do." Noah turns to see them and asks, "Where are you going?" Nixie snaps her eyes back to him and asks, "What the hell does it matter? You wouldn't believe us if we told you anyway." "Nixie, that's…"

She marches back up to him, directly in front of him. And though her teeth are clenched, she speaks clearly when she says, "We're going to try and stop someone else from being sacrificed. That's where we're going. Because if you don't want to believe, that's fine. Be an idiot. Be ignorant and naïve. But we can't do that. We've seen too much. We know too much. And we're not the kind of people who can just stand by and watch other people around us die when we know there's something we can do about it. That's the son you raised. That's who I am."

Backing off, she says, "So there is only one more question that you need to ask Noah. Because we know who we are. Who the hell are you?"

She stalks off after that, dragging Stiles behind her so they can get to the jeep.

On the ride to the school, Stiles glances over at her and asks, "Think you were hard on him?" "No." "He's just frustrated Nixie. And… we threw a lot at him." "I don't care. You're his son. You're trying to help him. He should at least consider the fact that you might be telling him the truth."

Stiles nods, and then says, "I think we just… need to give him time." "We don't have time Stiles." "I know."

They stay quiet for a moment, and then Stiles asks, "You okay? You're awfully quiet." Nixie doesn't answer for a moment. Then, she finally says softly, "Did you see the way he looked at me?" Stiles nods and says, "Both of us. I know it's not a pleasant thing to see Nix. He'll…" "He's never looked at me like that before. Has he looked at you that way?" "Well, no. But…"

Nixie sighs and says, "Maybe it's because I'm a girl Stiles. Or maybe it's just me in general. But I didn't like it. I hated it." "I know Nix. It'll pass though. And besides, it's just my dad. I should feel way worse than you do about this. And I'm…"

"Your dad _is_ my dad, Stiles." He pauses at that, and waits until Nixie explains more. Sighing, she says, "I… don't have what you'd call model parental figures to look up to. My dad died long before I could actually remember him. And my mom…" She stops to take a breath, and then says, "My mom is a great woman, and I do love her. But she's as absent as any parent possibly can be. I don't have anyone to look up to. At least… I didn't. Not until I met you and Scott and your parents."

Turning to look at Stiles, who is watching her now, she says, "You two are my boys. Your parents… are really the only examples of parents I have. They're all I've got to go on. And he… Noah has never looked at me like that before. He's never spoken to me like that before. Like I had suddenly just become the most God-awful disappointment he could possibly be looking at."

She turns back to look out her window, but then jumps in surprise when she feels a gentle tap at the back of her head. Turning slowly to see Stiles, she asks, "Did you just hit me in the back of the head?"

He smiles gently, and then takes her hand in his and says, "Yeah. Now you know how it feels." "But I…" "Dad loves you Nixie. Same as he loves me. And it's why he's so disappointed right now. In both of us." Squeezing her hand, he says, "He'll get over it. We'll have some sort of family dinner where he apologizes and where we apologize for not telling him sooner. We'll bring Scott so he can do the glowing eyes and facial hair-growing thing. It'll be right as rain."

Glancing at her again, he says, "You're a friend that's impossible to lose Nix. Once you're in, you're in, as I've often said. It's the same with parents. Once they take you in, once you're their kid… you can't get rid of them. No matter what you do."

They sit in silence a while more, and then Nixie squeezes Stiles hand in return and says, "Thanks Stiles." "Welcome Nix."

* * *

When Nixie and Stiles get to the school, they immediately find Scott. And while Stiles fills Scott in on their failed attempt to convince Noah, Nixie scans the room for all the faces she knows are supposed to be there. She finds Chris, Alison and Isaac nearby. She sees Danny with the orchestra. She even sees Ethan and Aiden sitting next to each other in the audience.

But Lydia… Nixie doesn't see her. She scans the room again, but comes up empty once more. Tugging on Scott's arm, she asks, "Where is Lydia?" Scott looks at her, and then back to where Lydia had been standing nearby. Gesturing to where she had been, he says, "She was here. She was right here. She said she wanted to help… see if she could maybe buy us more time with whatever it is that she does." Nixie nods, and then turns her ear towards the audience when she hears Ethan ask Aiden, "What? What's wrong?" "Nothing. I just… I think I lost my phone."

Well, that couldn't be a coincidence. Tugging Scott's arm again, she says, "We need to find her. Now."

Running out of the school, all of them shouting for her, Stiles asks, "Anything?" Scott shakes his head, and then turns to Nixie and asks, "You?" Nixie, phone to her ear, shakes her head and says, "She's not answering me. She's not even texting me back. Now what?" Stiles shrugs and asks Scott, "What do we do? There's gotta be something, right? Scott? What do we…"

Nixie nearly falls to the ground, same as Scott, when the scream pierces through the air. It was unlike anything they'd ever heard before. It wasn't normal. It wasn't just a cry for help, or a scream of terror.

It wasn't human. At least, not entirely.

As soon as it ended, Nixie snapped her gaze back up to the others. Righting herself, turning in the direction of the sound, Nixie says, "Lydia." Scott grabs her elbow and says, "Let's go. Hurry!"

She follows him to the other end of the school, racing into the classroom in time to see Noah end up stabbed with a knife that was thrown at his right shoulder.

By Ms. Blake. Nixie knew she didn't like that woman.

And Lydia was strapped to a chair, chord tight around her throat, nearly choked to death and killed, by this darach.

If Scott didn't end up killing her, Nixie would. She'd see to that.

He shifts without a second thought, roaring at Ms. Blake, who rounds a couple of desks to come and face him.

Noah is on the ground, staring up at Scott, beside himself with what he's seeing. With what they'd told him was the truth.

Scott charges at Ms. Blake, claws out, teeth bearing. But she dodges him, and then thrusts out her palm. And somehow, she shoves Scott clear across the room, hitting him hard enough to make him couch up blood.

Damn darach.

Nixie makes to move forward as well, blade already retrieved from the sleeve of her jacket. That's when Noah picks up his gun again and says, "Nixie, don't move."

Pointing the gun at Ms. Blake, he says, "There was a girl, years ago, we found her in the woods. Her face and body had been slashed apart. That was you, wasn't it?" Ms. Blake smirks at him and says, "Maybe I should've started with philosophers, with knowledge and strategy." As she moves forward, Noah shoots her in the thigh.

But she heals herself, and then just keeps on coming.

And okay… if that was something Deaton could do as well, Nixie seriously needed to be informed. Because… just what the crap?!

Looking to Noah again, Ms. Blake says, "Healers. Warriors. Guardians. Virgins." She picks Noah up by the blade in his shoulder, making him cry out in pain. That's when Nixie's blade flies across the room and slashes across Ms. Blake's wrist. She drops Noah and snaps her eyes to Nixie. Smirking, she says, "I have to admit. You have crossed my mind quite a few times. You'd make a perfect sacrifice, for a guardian. But I couldn't pick you. Everyone would've tried that much harder to find me, and I couldn't have that."

Nixie glares at her and says, "Let him go." "Or what?" "Or I will kill you." "You can try."

But even as Ms. Blake had said it… she didn't actually expect Nixie to move. Drawing another blade from another pocket, Nixie span it towards Ms. Blake, slicing into her coat and her other arm.

Noah stares at her for a moment, not really surprised, but still awed by what he's seeing.

It didn't matter in the end though. Ms. Blake shoved Nixie back across the room, same as she'd done to Scott. Slamming into the wall and falling to the floor, Nixie hears Ms. Blake say, "I do wish you all luck in the trials to come. Hopefully you all make the right decisions." She takes the badge from Noah's uniform, crushes it within her hand, and then reveals her true face to all of them, an ugly and scared and pale face…

And then she's gone. She takes Noah, and escapes out the window of the classroom, before Nixie or Scott can get back to their feet to do anything.

Stiles finally works his way into the room, and then just stares at the broken glass where his father and Ms. Blake had disappeared. "Dad?" Nixie pulls herself to her feet, and then says, "We'll find him Stiles. We will. We have no other choice." Stiles nods numbly at that, still staring at the window.

Nixie then moves to Lydia, undoes the chord from her neck, and then removes the restraints while asking, "You okay?" Lydia nods slightly, and then says, "I almost died. She… she almost…" "I know. Look at me." Lydia meets her eyes, and Nixie says, "Scream. Yell. Do whatever you have to. But you do that for me… and I will come and find you. And hell will follow behind me, on swift wings, I promise you. Okay?"

Lydia nods again, and then wraps Nixie in a hug and says, "Thank you for finding me." "Thanks for not dying on me. I don't think I could take it at this point."

Then they all move back to Scott and Stiles, and Nixie asks, "So… what's our next move, my dear alpha." Scott looks down at her, then at the others. Then he says, "We find out who else she plans on taking. And we stop her. Permanently." Nixie grins and says, "Sounds good. Let's go. And Lydia, fill me in. Why the hell did she want to kill you?" "I'm not entirely sure. But you're not going to believe what she called me." "What?" "A wailing woman. A banshee."

Nixie ponders that for a moment, and then says, "Huh. Well, I must say, I wasn't expecting that." "You were actually expecting something else?" Nixie turns to Lydia again and says, "Make no mistake. I had a list of possibilities on what you might be. A very long list. Mermaid was on it, in case you're wondering. But banshee… definitely not there."

As Stiles joins them in leaving the school, he asks, "What are we going to do about my dad?" "We're going to figure out how to save him. We're going to figure out who else Ms. Blake is after. And we're going to save the world, as usual."

And in spite of his dad now missing, Stiles grins slightly at Nixie and asks, "That easy huh?" "I never said easy. I said as usual. And also, as usual, it's probably going to be really hard, and a pain in the ass. But we will get it done." "And how exactly do you know that?"

"Because Stiles, I don't see any other teenagers crazy enough to try to do it. That leaves it to us. And I don't mean to brag, but I do think we're pretty amazing at this sort of thing. I mean, we've only had a year and we've saved the world twice. I think that's a pretty good track record, don't you?"

And then she looks to Scott and Lydia, and asks, "And why on earth are you two laughing right now? I'm serious."

* * *

And this is Chapter 9! Only three chapters left guys. Hope you're all still enjoying the story. :)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 10: Episode 3x10

As soon as Ms. Blake kisses Derek… she knows that Scott, Stiles, and Nixie have already talked to him about what happened. Leaning back from Derek, she asks, "They're already here, aren't they?"

Derek motions with his eyes to where they are, and all three step out from behind the wall they were waiting beyond. And Derek doesn't miss the firm grip Scott is keeping on Nixie's elbow. She'd probably wanted to jump out and take Ms. Blake on as soon as she'd walked up to Derek, as soon as the woman had hugged him like he was still a friend. Scott was keeping her reined in. For now.

Ms. Blake glances at them, and then says, "So… they told you it was me? That I'm the one taking people?" Scott narrows his eyes at her and says, "We told him you're the one killing people."

The bitch has the nerve to scoff at them and say, "Oh, that's right. Committing human sacrifices? What, cutting their throats? Yeah, I probably do it on my lunch hour. That way, I can get back to teaching high school English the rest of the day. Oh, that makes perfect sense!"

Stiles, tears coming out of his eyes, asks, "Where's my dad?" Ms. Blake just asks back, "How should I know?" She turns back to Derek and says, "Derek, tell me you don't believe this."

He looks at her for a minute, and then over at the other three. Eyes landing on Nixie, he asks her silently one more time, just how sure she is of this. But nothing wavers in her gaze, and she nods to him firmly. She is one-hundred-percent sure.

Back to Ms. Blake, he asks, "Do you know what happened to Stiles' father?" "No!" But Nixie takes a step forward, straining against Scott's hold, and says, "Ask her why she almost killed Lydia." Ms. Blake turns to her and says, "Lydia Martin? I don't know anything about that." "Bitch, don't even dare try to lie to me."

Derek then asks, "What do you know, Jennifer?" "I know that these boys, and this girl, for whatever misguided reason, are filling your head with an absurd story. And one they can't prove, by the way."

But at that statement, Nixie finally takes a step back, so Scott can step forward. Producing a vile from his pocket, he asks, "What if we can?" Ms. Blake eyes it for a moment, and then asks, "What is that?" Scott moves forward and says, "My boss told me it's a poison and a cure, which means you can use it… and it can be used against you."

Ms. Blake's face actually takes on an appearance of worry as she asks, "Mistletoe?" Nixie smirks and says, "Damn straight." And as Scott throws it at her, they watch her form shift between that of the beautiful woman, and that of the slashed, torn, and beaten darach that she truly is.

When she tries to run after that, Derek catches her by the throat. Claws coming out, probably ready to kill her, she begs, "Derek, wait, wait! You need me." Hissing in her ear, he asks, "What are you?" "I'm the only person who can save your sister. Call Peter. Call him!"

He stares down at her for a moment, but then looks over at Nixie and says, "Nix. Call Peter." She dials the number, and when Peter picks up, she asks, "How's Cora?" "It's not good. She's in and out of consciousness. She's vomiting up black blood along with one other alarming substance." Glancing at Ms. Blake, Nixie asks, "Mistletoe?" "How did you know that?" "We'll come to you Peter. Stay with her. Do not let her out of your sight."

Hanging up, Nixie nods to Derek, affirming that Cora definitely wasn't doing well. He squeezes Ms. Blake's neck harder in response. And though Nixie, at this point, honestly doesn't have a huge issue with killing the woman, Scott asks, "Derek. Derek, what are you doing?" Pleading for her life now, Ms. Blake says, "Her life… it's in my hands."

He picks her up, literally off the ground, and Stiles comes forward and says, "Stop. Derek, stop!" Ms. Blake glances at them and says, "Stilinski… you'll never find him." Derek squeezes tighter, even as Scott says, "Derek. Derek!"

But his hand stills when Nixie voice says gently, "Derek." He looks over at her, and she sighs and says, "We… we need her. For now."

He finally drops her unceremoniously to the floor, where she sits up, laughing a little, and says, "That's right. You need me."

And then she finds herself punched in the face. Hard. She gasps and jerks to see who did it, finding Nixie now standing in front of her. Scott had finally lost his grip on her. Not that he was holding on very tight anymore. Glaring at Ms. Blake on the floor beneath her, Nixie says, "Keep on talking out of turn, homicidal maniac. I'll kill you myself if you annoy me enough. My patience, as of late, is wearing exceedingly thin."

Then she turns to the others and says, "So… if we're done debating about whether Ms. Blake is actually a darach or not… can we please head to the hospital now so we can save Cora? And then we can get Noah." Glancing at Ms. Blake, she adds, "And we will find Noah. Or there is not enough magic in the world to save you from me."

* * *

In the jeep on the way there, Stiles says, "I don't know, something feels wrong about this." Nixie nods from the backseat and says, "Mainly everything. But that's just my opinion." Stiles nods in agreement, "I mean… we proved it to Derek. But she still has this look like it didn't even matter. You know? Like it was all still going according to plan. I mean… you saw it… didn't you Scott?"

Nixie raises her hand from the backseat and says, "I definitely saw it. It's why I punched her in the face. And I'm likely to do it again. Just FYI." Scott grins back at her, and then sighs and says, "Let's just see if we can keep anyone else from dying." And Stiles grins too when Nixie says, "As long as we're not including Ms. Blake or the alphas in the group of people we're protecting, I'm all for this plan. Sorry Scott, but I have my limits." "Noted."

After pulling up at the hospital, when Stiles gets out and retrieves something from the trunk, Scott asks, "What's that?" Stiles points to him, "Well… you've got claws. Nixie's got her endless supply of daggers and knives. And I've got a bat."

But as they walk into the hospital, preparing to head up to Cora, Melissa shouts from behind them, "Scott. Scott!" As she catches up, she asks, "What are you guys doing here? The hospital's evacuating." Scott nods and says, "We're here for Cora." "What, all of you? And why does Stiles have my bat?" Nixie glances at Ms. Blake, and then says, "Insurance." Scott looks back to his mom and says, "Mom, just trust me on this. You need to get out of here. Right now."

Melissa looks at all of them, landing on Nixie for a moment, and then she looks back to Scott and explains, "The building is supposed to be clear in thirty minutes. We've got two ambulances that are coming back. One's ten minutes out, the other's twenty. Cora needs to be on one of those. They'll be picking up in the basement garage." Scott nods and says, "Got it."

As they head back up the hall, Melissa looking on worriedly, Nixie turns back and says, "Don't worry Melissa. I've got him." "Yeah, well, you worry me too Nixie." Nixie smiles a little and says, "Love you too. See you later."

Once in the elevator, Ms. Blake looks up at Derek, who refuses to let go of her arm, and then says, "You don't have to keep me on a leash Derek. I'm going to help." But as she says it, she glances back at Scott, who is in the corner glaring at her. Then she looks to Stiles, who is in the other corner, his bat raised and ready to swing.

She doesn't see Nixie, but she suddenly feels the cool steel of a blade touch her back in a silent threat and warning.

After they reach the right floor, Derek leads the way… but Cora isn't in her room. There's black blood on the ground, and the drips after that lead to another room down the hall. A room where snarling and growling sounds can be heard. Nixie tilts her head to hear better, and then says, "That's definitely not good."

As Scott calls Derek's attention there, the snarling increases in volume, and then Peter comes flying out the doors. Sliding across the floor on his back, he ends up stopping right at their feet. Looking up at them, wincing in pain, Peter says, "We've got a problem. A very big problem."

And yeah, it is a big problem. Because the wonder twins have gone and formed 'Voltron Wolf', as Stiles had called it, and were in the same room with Cora. Perfect.

Derek charges in immediately, already wolfed out and angry as hell. Nixie pulls out a blade and prepares to run… but Scott stops her and says, "No. Let me. Get to Cora. Get her out of here. Hurry."

So she waits until Scott has Ethan and Aiden occupied, and then has Stiles and Peter come with her to help get Cora off the floor and out of the way. And meanwhile, the stupid darach, Ms. Blake, who had just sworn ten seconds ago that she was going to help, was back in the elevator, leaving them behind.

She was definitely going to have to die. Sooner rather than later.

Making sure Peter has Cora over his shoulder securely, Nixie says, "Go. Run!"

Derek and Scott follow after them, Derek also ordering for them to not stop. But Stiles, trying to buy them more time, hides behind the door and attempts to hit Aiden and Ethan over the head with it.

It shatters, splinters, and breaks into a million pieces against their thick skull. Literally. They roar at him for the futile attempt, and as he scrambles away, Nixie says, "A, for effort, but I'm afraid it's going to be a D for execution." "Not an F." "Hey. There's no failure in trying. Only in quitting." "Right. Because now it the perfect time for a philosophy lesson." "No, but there's always time for sarcasm." "Really?" "Yep."

As the power goes out, Stiles curses and says, "I can't see a damn thing. Scott! I…" Nixie grabs his hand and puts it on her shoulder and says, "Just keep hold of me, and you'll be fine. Let's go."

It takes a minute, but the backup generators finally kick in. Not anywhere near as much light as it was before… but enough to see clearly by. Peter lays Cora down on a spare bed while the rest of them work on barring the doors. Looking up as Scott and Derek catch up, Peter asks, "Where's the big guy?" Derek stands watch at one door and says, "Close." Stiles nods and asks, "And what about Ms. Blake?"

Nixie shakes her head along with Scott, and Stiles asks worriedly, "What do you mean? What does that mean? Like, she's gone? Guys, are you kidding me?!" Derek turns to look at him and says, "Quiet!" "Me be quiet? Me, huh? Are you telling me what to do now? When your psychotic, mass murdering girlfriend… the second one you've dated, by the way, has got my dad somewhere, tied up, waiting to be ritually sacrificed?!"

Scott pulls Stiles back from where he'd gotten into Derek's face and says, "Stiles, they're still out there." Stiles nods and says, "And they want her. Right? Which means that, now, we don't have her either. So my dad and Cora are both dead!" "Not yet."

Stiles turns to Derek to yell at him again, but Nixie grabs his arm and jerks him around to face her. Putting a hand on his chest, she says, "Slow it down Stiles. Think it through. This isn't over yet." "Nixie, my dad is…" "For now, still alive. Focus on that. Because right now, we're trapped in a hospital, with a dying werewolf, and a mega twin out to eat us alive. Those are the problems we need to fix right now. Then we'll find your dad. Alright?"

He finally nods to her, and then looks over at Cora when Scott asks Peter, "Is she really dying?" "She's definitely not getting any better." Sighing, Scott says, "There has to be something we can do. We have to help her."

But as they're all trying to think of what to do, the doors on the other side of the room open, and in walks Ms. Blake. Hmm… Nixie didn't see that coming either.

She still doesn't think Ms. Blake is actually here to help though. Something must've stopped her from leaving. Something downstairs that was somehow worse than the alpha twins.

Ms. Blake looks at all of them, and then says, "You can't help her. I can. I can save her, and I can tell you where Sheriff Stilinski is. But there is a pack of alphas in this hospital who want me dead. So I'll help you, but only when I'm out of here and safe."

Ah… and there was the catch. Of course.

Derek throws one of the medical trays across the room and tries to tear across the place so he can tear Ms. Blake apart himself. Scott stops him though and says, "Derek wait!" "She was trying to get out!" Ms. Blake immediately defends herself, saying, "I was trying to keep from getting killed. You can't blame me for that."

Nixie scoffs and says, "Honey, don't even go there. I can blame you for quite a bit if I feel like trying. Go ahead. Ask me what else I think is your fault. I'll write you a book." Stiles puts a hand to her shoulder and says, "I'll proofread. It'll be a bestseller." "Excellent."

Then Stiles points to Cora and says, "If you wanna show you're one of the good guys, then heal her." Ms. Blake shakes her head and says, "Not until I'm safe." Nixie sneers at her and says, "Self-centered asshat." Stiles blinks and then asks, "Asshat?" "I've used the word bitch more than I'd like to recently. I'm switching to a different word." "Well, alright then."

Peter looks to Ms. Blake now and says, "I'd like to volunteer a different method of persuasion. Let's torture her." Derek immediately says, "Works for me." And Peter and Derek are both surprised when Nixie says, "I have every knife you could possibly want on my person, as we speak. Which would you like to start with?"

Derek grins at her briefly, but then they all look up when the intercom cuts on, and Melissa's voice says over the speakers, "Um, can I have your attention? Mr. Deucalion… excuse me, just Deucalion, requests you bring the woman calling herself Jennifer Blake to the E.R. reception. Do this, and everyone else can leave. You have ten minutes."

Nixie keeps her eyes on Scott, whose eyes have gone wide with terror. Ms. Blake watches him too, and then says, "He's not gonna hurt her." Derek points to her and says, "Shut up." "He won't. Scott, you know why. Tell them it's true."

Everyone pauses for a moment, and then Derek turns to Scott and asks, "What does she mean?" But Scott isn't entirely sure how to answer, so Ms. Blake rolls her eyes and says, "You're not the only one he wants in his pack, Derek. Deucalion doesn't just want an alpha pack. He wants perfection. That means adding the rarest of alphas to his ranks."

And before Nixie can explain it further herself, Peter says in astonishment, "A true alpha." Stiles glances at Nixie and asks, "Is that what you told me about? What Deaton said Scott could be?" Nixie nods, and then Stiles asks, "So… what is it exactly?" Peter hears him and responds, "The kind of alpha that doesn't have to steal his power from another. One that can rise by the force of his own will. Our little Scott."

Scott looks over at Nixie for a moment, and then he looks to Derek and says, "It doesn't matter. We still need to get her out of here." He nods to Ms. Blake at that, and Stiles comes forward and says, "Scott, your mom…" "My mom, said there's one more ambulance coming in twenty minutes. And I don't think we've been here that long. So if we can get down to the garage, get to the last ambulance, we can get out of here."

Peter scoffs and says, "The twins aren't gonna let us just walk out." Scott nods and says, "I'll distract them." Derek sighs and says, "You mean fight them." "Whatever I have to do." Derek nods after a moment, and says, "I'll help you."

Which is when Ms. Blake buts in again and says, "Um… sorry, but I'm not going anywhere without you, Derek." Derek looks ready to argue… possibly try to tear her apart again. But Scott puts a hand on his arm and says, "It's alright."

Then he looks at Nixie, silently asking if she will help him take on the twins. Her response is to simply raise an eyebrow back at him before saying, "I thought my involvement in going out to try and kick their conjoined assed was a given at this point. Do I really need to say it out loud?" Scott grins and says, "No. But I usually don't ask. I usually ask you to hold back." "Yeah, well, then it's a testament to how serious our situation is. I'm in."

"Me too." Everyone looks to Peter in surprise when he says that, to which he just shrugs and says, "What? Cora is my niece. But, I would prefer to go out there with an advantage." Stiles asks, "Like what? You mean, like a weapon?" Peter nods, and then quips, "Something better than a baseball bat."

Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "Whatever. Let's look around and see what we can find. We're in a hospital for Pete's sake. There's gotta be something in here."

They turn over every drawer and cabinet, looking for something. Stiles picks up the defibrillator paddles and asks, "What about these?" Derek turns to look at him, and then asks, "Do you know how to use those?" Stiles looks back and forth between them, "Well, no." "Then put em' down."

They keep digging, and then Scott asks, "Epinephrine?" Derek turns to look at the big ass needle he's holding, and then says, "That's only gonna make him stronger."

As the others keep digging, Nixie pauses for a moment, and then looks at the needle in Scott's hands. Then she turns to Peter, on her right. Grabbing one of his arms, lifting his hand so she can see it, she says, "Extend your claws." Peter raises an eyebrow at her, but does so. She looks at them, and then asks, "This is you at normal speed and power now?" "Yes." Then she turns back to Scott and asks, "How strong?"

Peter looks between her and the vile that Scott is still holding. Then he nods, catching onto her train of thought, and asks, "And for how long?" Scott blinks in confusion, but says, "Um… I guess it depends on how fast he burns through it." Nixie nods, "Okay. Peter will be the trial run."

She grabs it from Scott, bringing it back to Peter. She holds it in her hand for a moment, and then says to him, "You may not believe me when I say this… but this isn't personal. I just don't have the time to try and figure out where this would hurt you the least." And then she stabs it into his chest without any other warning. Pushing the whole thing in, she then says to Scott, "Alright, let's go. And you three, get Cora and get out of here. We'll meet you later."

As they step out the door, Peter feeling more amped by the second, Scott shifted and ready, and Nixie with two blades pulled out and twirling in her hands, Scott asks, "You really think we'll meet up with them later?" "I sure hope so. If we have to meet up with them sooner than that, it means something has gone severely wrong since we split."

Hearing the roaring from up the hall, Nixie says, "But we'll worry about that later. Let's go!"

As Nixie, Scott, and Peter all basically take turns getting thrown around while Stiles, Derek, and Ms. Blake rush Cora down to the basement, Scott lands beside Nixie for a moment and asks, "How you doing?" "Oh I'm great. Can't you tell?"

As soon as they know the others are clear, they take off running around the corner to hopefully lead the twins astray. It couldn't have been five minutes, maybe a little over that. But Peter was already on the ground, weaker again. Sighing, he says, "That shot didn't last very long." Nixie helps get his left side while Scott grabs his right. Picking him up, Nixie says, "Werewolf metabolism. Should've guessed, I suppose. Still, would've been nice to have just a few more minutes."

As they move to hide in the room marked 'Soiled Laundry', Nixie briefly touches a hand to her right hip, where the injury Kali had given her had been. It wasn't bleeding again, thank goodness. But it did hurt now.

She then looks over at Peter when he says, "Those twins are really starting to piss me off." Scott nods and asks, "How the hell are we supposed to get past them?" Peter shrugs and says, "Personally, I think if we keep letting them beat the living crap out of us, they'll tire and give up."

Scott looks to Nixie, and shakes his head before saying, "We can't wait that long." Nixie nods, and then glances around the room before her eyes finally land on the laundry chute. Pointing at it and then looking at Scott, she asks, "What do you think?" He nods eagerly while Peter sighs and says, "Great."

He goes first. Scott follows after him, probably a little too closely behind. He practically lands right on top of Peter. Shoving Scott off to the other side of the laundry basket, Peter gives him a look and says, "You couldn't have waited, like, ten seconds?"

Meanwhile, at the top, Nixie's phone vibrates as she's getting ready to come down. Checking it, she sighs and says, "Great." Then she lets herself fall down the chute.

Peter and Scott are out and waiting for her, and as she hits the clothes beneath her, Peter gestures to her and says, "Like that." Scrambling up, Nixie hands Scott her phone and says, "They didn't get out. Derek and Ms. Blake were chased by Kali and now they're stuck in the elevator." Scott nods and texts them back using Nixie's phone, saying, _"Don't move. On our way."_

Then he snags Nixie's elbow and says, "I need you to find my mom. If you can. I mean… she…" "You've got Derek?" "Yeah." "Okay. Then I'll get your mom. Don't worry Scott. I'm on this." "Thank you."

As Peter and Scott run in the other direction, Peter comments, "That girl just aims to move mountains all over the place for you guys, doesn't she?" Scott glances over at him, and then he chuckles and says, "She doesn't move mountains. Mountains get the hell out of her way when they see her coming."

* * *

As Stiles sits there with Cora, silent in the ambulance, he sighs and says, "You just hang in there a little longer okay? Believe me, if anyone's gonna get us out of this, it's Nixie and Scott." Then he chuckles to himself and says, "I can't believe I just said that. The Scott part… not the Nixie part. Not that Scott was ever unreliable. Scott's always been Scott. It's just that… Nixie's always been Nixie too. You know? And before all this supernatural shit started happening in front of us… I don't know. I was never even remotely worried about whether or not my dad and I would be alright, you know? I wasn't worried, because I knew Nixie would be there to help us, to stop whatever bad thing was coming for us."

Laughing at himself again, he says, "She always makes you feel that way. Like you're the only person in the world that actually matters, and everyone else can go to hell, so long as they don't mess with you. And I know you haven't been here long enough to see it. You've only seen her threaten people and maybe slap a few of us in the head. But… I've seen it. I've seen her actually fight for us. You should've seen the way she kicked Jackson's ass last year for the way he treated Lydia. Let me tell you… it was not pretty."

Sighing, he says, "You know, I used to always be the one with the plan in all of this. Or… at least, a plan B. You know? And now… now I don't know. Now I'm thinking… maybe you were right. Maybe we are pretty much useless. Maybe all we really do is show up and find the bodies."

He takes a moment to think about what he just said, and then can't help a few tears falling as he says, "I don't want to find my father's body." He takes a moment after that to collect himself. Then he smiles a little and says, "If I ever said any of that to Nixie though, she'd hit me in the head. And… she's right. I know that. You know, it may have taken us a while to figure out all that was going on… might've taken us time to figure out how to stop it or how to find who this darach was looking for. But… we figured it out."

Nodding to himself, he says, "We'll find my dad. Nixie will make sure of it." Looking back to Cora's body, Stiles then comments, "You know, you're a lot easier to talk to when you're completely unconscious." And then he hears doors open from nearby, and as Stiles peeks out the window of the back, he sees the twins walking around, searching for Ms. Blake probably. Leaning back and out of sight, he takes a quick breath and prays silently that the others can hurry up so they can all get out of here.

* * *

Nixie was bolting up every set of stairs and down every hall in this place. She's pretty sure she saw Kali at one point, but since she didn't appear to have Melissa, Nixie kept right on sprinting away, eyes darting into every room and around every corner, searching for Melissa.

It wasn't until she made it all the way to the roof, outside and in the rain again, that she found her answer. Melissa was with Deucalion, making her way back towards the door to go back in. Sighing upon seeing Nixie, Melissa asks, "Where's Scott?" "Undetermined for now." Glaring at Deucalion, Nixie says, "Let her go." "Of course dear."

At Nixie's confused expression, Melissa says, "I'm his gesture of goodwill." Narrowing her eyes again, Nixie says, "Demented jackass. If you think Scott will ever truly join your pack, you have seriously flipped your lid."

Deucalion grins a little and says, "Kali told me you were a fiery one. And I have to congratulate you. There are very few werewolves, let alone people, who can manage to get close enough to do any real damage to her. You've caused her to have to rethink her philosophy on how dangerous humans can truly be." "Well yay for her and for me. Melissa, let's go."

Melissa steps forward, but Deucalion grabs her arm again and says, "I have a condition now, darling. She can go, if you stay." Glaring at him, Nixie says, "If I stay I'm going to attempt to hurt you." "Not to kill me." "That'll be a bonus." "Very well."

Melissa walks past and says, "Come on. He can't chase after us if he's blind. You can…" "Melissa, I said I would stay, and I'm staying. Go find Scott. I'll meet you shortly."

As soon as Melissa is gone, Nixie pulls out her blades again, and asks, "What the hell do you want with me?" "To understand dear." "Understand what?" "Understand what exactly it is about you that makes everyone around you want to remain within your good graces. Even Ethan, one of mine, has backed off on occasion, when he thought it would turn you completely against him and make him give up this boy, Danny."

Stepping closer, Deucalion asks, "What do you suppose it is about you that makes people react that way? Why do you suppose they strive so hard to not disappoint you?" "I'm sure, I don't know. And I don't care. They're mine, and they could never do anything so bad that I would ever let them go. They know that." "Exactly. Which brings to mind the question again. Why do they strive so hard…" "I heard you the first time. And again, I don't know, and I don't care."

She lunges at him, but he dodges her and says, "You have skill, I admit. But I've been practicing being a blind man for a long time. You're going to have to do better."

And she tries, but he keeps dodging her. She only lands a few minor blows, none of which do him any real harm.

Then she tosses one of her smaller blades off to the side while she moves the other way. And as she'd hoped, Deucalion's eyes follow that sound rather than her. And finally, she lands a blow into his right shoulder, piercing through, and then she pulls it out and slices at the hand that's holding his walking stick.

That's when Kali appears again, coming from behind and grabbing Nixie by the arms. Twisting them behind her and holding tight, she shoves Nixie to her knees. Wincing from the pain, she refuses to drop her blades, no matter how tightly Kali twists. Deucalion chuckles a little and says, "You are a clever child. Bravo, I congratulate you again."

Stepping up to her, he bends down to her level and says, "But, as I said before, I wish to understand you. And I feel that the best way to do that, is to see for myself, just who exactly this person is, that everyone is so desperate to keep in their company.

Nixie isn't sure what he's doing at first, until she feels one large claw at the back of her neck. Eyes widening, she says, "Don't you dare…" But then his claw plunges into the skin of her neck, and Nixie can feel the supernatural power flow through her mind, calling to the present, memories of her past. Some that were known to all; some known only to a few.

And others that no one, not even those closest to her, had ever been told before.

Deucalion searches through her mind deeply at first, expecting it to be harder than it is to find the source of everyone's devotion to her. But it's not hard to find at all. Everyone's devotion to Nixie… is a reflection of her devotion to them. He sees the threats she's made, the fights she's been in defending those that she claimed were hers.

He sees the woman who resembles her in Eichen house. He sees the same woman trying to attack Nixie as a child, before returning to sanity and apologizing. He sees a child tell her mother that it was okay.

He sees Nixie with Peter after Stiles had left that first year. He sees the fight she put up, and the scar she'd attained for it. He sees her push others behind her, putting herself in the line of fire of bullets and arrows. And not once did she hesitate, or flinch.

He sees the other scars too. He sees how she's hidden them in favor of not making others worry. He sees her devotion to making her friends smile and keeping them happy.

And he sees more than that… more than maybe even she can see. He sees the shift in nature. He sees how certain reactions and situations seem to make it rain around her, and how cold it sometimes gets near her when she's upset.

In all his life… he'd never seen someone who was so destined. He'd never met someone who had everything it took to be…

When he pulls his claw out from her neck, it is with a gentler touch then when he'd sunk it in. Nixie slumps now, dropping her blades from exhaustion. And though Kali makes to twist her arms tighter, Deucalion lifts a hand and says swiftly, "Let her go. Gently."

Kali gives him a confused look, but does as he says. Nixie is laid on the ground, and as the rain hits her face, she opens her eyes wearily and says, "Bastard." Deucalion looks down at her, his blind eyes somehow very accurate in their gaze. And then he says, "You will be a wonder to behold someday my dear. I will have to see if you can join us then."

Glaring, Nixie says, "Hell will freeze over first." "We shall see."

After they leave her there, Nixie sighs and pushes herself into a sitting position. She stays there in the rain for a moment, and then touches the back of her neck. It's bleeding, but she doesn't think it's too bad. Sighing, she rises to her feet, and then grabs her knives before heading back into the door. She needed to find Melissa again. She needed to help the others.

And they needed to get the hell out of here.

* * *

She's running down the halls again, trying to find anyone she knows again, when she rounds a corner and nearly runs into the gun Chris lifts up when he sees her. Sliding to the ground, knife pulled out, she kicks the gun away and then smoothly stands back up, knife aimed directly under Chris' throat.

She doesn't actually penetrate him. She stops right at his throat, and finally takes in who she's standing in front of. Chris, for his part, doesn't move, and reaches out to hold Alison back when she makes to try and stop Nixie before she's ready.

Finally, she takes a breath, and then turns to see that Scott, Melissa, and Isaac are here as well. Sighing in relief, she puts the knife away and says, "Sorry." Chris shrugs and says, "I'm impressed. That was your first instinct?" "Yep." "Nice." "Thanks. Now, can we please get out of here?"

Scott steps up and says, "We still have to get Derek." "Well, then what the hell are we waiting for?"

As they continue on and move into a spare room, Scott continues to explain the situation to Chris where he'd left off before Nixie showed up. Then Chris asks, "So then, they're essentially trapped?" Scott nods and says, "Right." Isaac comments, "But there's no way of getting them out without turning the power back on."

Melissa moves around them and hurriedly says, "But wait, wait, wait. If the power's back on, they're gonna hear the elevator moving, right?" Nixie nods and says tiredly, "And they'll be on Ms. Blake and Derek as soon as it stops." And then Scott adds, looking firmly at Nixie, "And we can't get in a fight with them."

Nixie gives him a look, but then sighs and says, "I will avoid it at all costs, if I can. Cross my heart and hope to die." "Good." Chris then gestures to himself, Alison, and Isaac and says, "You've got us now." But Scott shakes his head and says, "It's too much to risk. They want her dead, and if she dies, there's nothing that we can do for Stiles' dad or Cora."

Chris sighs, and then says, "I don't even think I know which teacher this is." And before Nixie can comment, Isaac says, "She's the one with the brown hair. She's kind of hot."

All eyes shift to him, and as he looks around, he says, "Oh… it's… it's just an observation." Nixie fixes him with a hard stare before saying, "She's the English teacher we were in class with the day the horde of suicidal birds decided to kill themselves by flying into the classroom windows." Chris nods to that, understanding that explanation easier.

Then Alison, who is looking at herself in a mirror, says, "I've got an idea."

And she grins when Nixie says, "Excellent. What do I need to do?" "Same thing you always do. Be what we need you to be." "I'm aware of that, but currently what is that?" Alison pulls Nixie's hair bow out so her hair falls down, and then says, "Be a distraction."

* * *

The twins chased Nixie down the hall just like Alison predicted. Wearing Alison's heels, which were a size too big, was not exactly easy. But she managed it.

As she got outside she rolled onto the ground so Alison could rise up and start shooting her arrows without worrying about hitting Nixie. Chris came out, guns blazing. And Nixie pulls out more daggers from within her jacket and started throwing them with expert precision towards the three alphas that were now before them; the twins and Kali.

Once they're gone, Alison sighs in relief and says, "Thank God. That worked." Nixie nods, but then looks down at her ringing phone. "Yeah Stiles? What's up?" "Scott's gone."

Alison's smile slips immediately when Nixie entire body tenses up like a statue. Then she asks, "Stiles, I'm gonna need you to repeat that. I'm sure I heard you wrong. What?" "Nixie… Ms. Blake escaped. She took Scott's mom. And he… he doesn't know what else to do. So he went with Deucalion. He said he was gonna find them, and Deucalion is gonna help him so long as Scott's in his pack."

Nixie takes a moment to think that through, and then she sighs and says, "Stiles, where's Derek?" "In the elevator. Unconscious." "Wake him up. Do whatever you have to. I'll meet you inside in a minute."

Hanging up, she hits one of her speed dial numbers while Alison asks, "What's wrong? What…" "We misinterpreted what guardians meant… again?" "What? What does it…" "Parents, Alison. It meant parents. And Ms. Blake just took Scott's mom. And now Scott is with Deucalion. We have reached the territory of 'up shit creek without a paddle'."

As her phone rings, Alison asks, "Who are you calling?" "Scott."

He answers on the fourth ring, and says, "Nixie, I have to…" "Scott, I get that we're low on options. I get that. Just… promise me. Promise me that you will still call me. And promise me that when I call you, you're going to answer the phone."

There's a pause, and then Scott says, "You know I will. I promise. Um… and here. Deucalion would like a word." "I don't have anything to say to him."

But the phone is already passed, and Deucalion says, "Hello dear. I assure you, Scott is in good hands." "I disagree." "Because they are not yours?" "Damn straight." Deucalion chuckles softly, and then says with, what actually sounds like sincerity, "Scott may call you and you may call him whenever it is needed. I would not prevent him from staying in contact with one as… precious to him as you are."

He hands the phone back to Scott, who speaks with Nixie for a few more seconds, and then hangs up. Looking to Deucalion, Scott asks, "Why?" Deucalion grins a little, and then says, "You really have no idea who she's going to turn out to be… do you Scott?" Scott tilts his head curiously, but Deucalion simply adds, "Rest assured, I would not dare try to cut you off from her. It would pain her too much, and I'm quite certain it would endanger the lives of the rest of my pack, if I were to attempt to do so."

Beginning to walk away, he says, "Come on Scott. We have a lot of work to do… and a short time to do it in."

* * *

Chapter 10! Woohoo! Only two chapters left guys. Hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them. They will both be posted later tonight (granted that the internet doesn't crash before I'm done reading through them again).


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 11: Episode 3x11

Nixie left Alison and Chris after confirming Scott would remain in contact with her while with Deucalion. She made sure they went to meet Isaac as planned so they could get Cora somewhere safe. Then she went back inside the hospital to be with Stiles. He'd already gotten Derek up and out of the elevator, and now he was going to try and stall the cops for just a little while longer.

Taking the seat next to him, Nixie sighs and says, "You realize how ominous this looks, right? Us, just you and me, the only two people left in the hospital, for whatever reason it was that possessed us to stay. What the hell are we going to tell them?" Stiles shrugs and says, "We can tell them my jeep broke down again. They'd believe that. And currently, I'm your ride. So… we're kind of stuck together." "Sounds good. Where are we going to say we hid while the storm was tearing through this place?" "I honestly have no idea."

Nixie nods, and then thinks for a moment more, before saying, "We'll say we were stuck in the elevator. They'll have a record somehow to show that it did actually break down, so they'll buy that. Besides, what are they going to do even if they don't? Arrest us for trying to not die in the storm by taking shelter in the hospital?" Stiles grins a little and says, "Yeah. Good luck with that. Right?" "Exactly."

Looking over at him, Nixie nudges his arm and says, "Cheer up a little." "Nixie… we just lost Scott's mom, Scott himself, and my dad is still missing. How are we…" "We're going to get them back. We're going to send this darach to hell. And Scott is only gone until he finds his mom. If Deucalion thinks he can keep him longer than that, he has another thing coming."

Stiles looks over at her, and then relaxes a little and says, "You really think we'll get them back?" "I know we will. There is no other option." "Good to know." "I know, right!"

He grins at her, and then they both look up when the doors open and an FBI agent walks inside. And not just any FBI agent. Nixie had only ever seen the man in the few pictures Scott had cared to share with her a long time ago. And she only knew anything about the man himself, because Stiles had given her a rundown on him.

FBI Agent Rafe McCall walked right up to them while Stiles sighed and muttered, "Just perfect." Nixie takes his hand in hers and squeezes gently before saying, "Don't worry Stiles. He messes with you, I'll kick him in the balls." "And then he'll arrest you." "He will have to catch me first."

Stiles grins again, and then they both look up when Rafe says, "A Stilinski at the center of this whole mess. What a shocker." He's about to speak again, but Nixie throws up her hands and asks, "And what am I? Chopped liver? I'm sitting here too you know."

He stares at her in surprise for a moment, and then looks to Stiles and asks, "Who is she?" Stiles raises an eyebrow, and then grins again when Nixie says, "I happen to be sitting, literally, directly in front of you. Why the hell don't you just ask me?" Then she turns to Stiles and whispers loudly, "Is he a little…" and she points to her head as though asking if Rafe is a little slow.

The man glares at her in response, but then asks, "So… who are you?" "Nixie Haven. Pleasure to meet you. Heard a lot about you. None of it good." He stares at her a moment more, and then sighs and asks, "You two think you can answer some questions? Without the usual level of sarcasm, Stilinski?" Nixie laughs outright at that question, and then turns to Stiles and asks, "He doesn't know us at all, does he?"

Stiles shakes his head, and then in response to Rafe's question, says, "We might be able to… if you can ask the questions without the usual level of stupid." Rafe puts on a fake smile for both of them, but then straightens up and asks, "Where's your dad and why has no one been able to contact him?" Stiles shrugs and says, "I don't know. I haven't seen him in hours." "Is he drinking again?"

Nixie is up out of her seat so fast that Rafe has to blink before it fully registers that she's suddenly standing directly in front of him. And she was short, no doubt, but she was still managing to be right in his face. Glaring at him, watching him step back from her, she makes to follow him.

The only reason she didn't, was because Stiles wrapped an arm around her waist and said, "Hey… hey, take a breath." "He's being a jackass. On purpose." "Yeah, I get that. But you can't punch him in the face and go to jail right now. I need you with me, alright?"

Nixie looks at him for a moment, and then relaxes and leans back. She crosses her arms though and says, "I don't appreciate you using yourself against me. Like I'd actually abandon you." "Yeah, I know. You'll get over it." He kisses the side of her head gently as way of apology, and then turns back to Rafe.

The FBI agent is still looking at Nixie. No longer like she was simply Stiles friend, and therefore Scott's friend. But like she might actually be a potential threat and problem for himself.

Stiles clears his throat, and then says, "What do you mean, 'again'? He never had to stop." Rafe turns back to Stiles, and says, in what he hopes is at least a slightly gentler tone, "But he did have to slow down. Is he drinking like he used to?" Stiles glares at him now, wanting to punch him in the face himself.

Nixie steps up next to Stiles, calmer now, and says, "How about we do this for you? Next time we see him, we'll give him a field sobriety test. Okay? We'll do the alphabet and everything. Start with F, end with U." Rafe hardens his gaze at her, but doesn't miss how Stiles puts a hand to her back, rubbing up and down. Possibly another gesture of thanks.

Sighing again, Rafe asks, "How about you two just tell me what the hell happened here?" Stiles shakes his head and sighs before saying, "We don't know what happened here. We were stuck in the elevators the whole time."

Then Rafe asks, "You're not the ones who put the name on the doors, are you? Either of you?"

But even before they answer, he knows they aren't. Because Nixie's crossed arms drop and her eyes go from glaring, to concerned, as she asks worriedly, "What name?" "Argent."

Nixie and Stiles look at each other, and after Rafe finally leaves them alone and releases them from the scene, they pile into his jeep and start heading to the school so Nixie can get her bike. Running a hand through her hair, Nixie says, "Shit. She's taking all the parents." "Yeah. I get that. Parent or guardian." "No Stiles. I mean specifically, she's taking all of our parents."

Stiles sighs and says, "Yeah. We need to warn Alison and her dad." "Right. I'll lead. You follow. And keep up with me." "I will do my best, but if I can't, don't wait for me." "Oh believe me, I am well aware of how short our time-table is."

* * *

As Nixie and Stiles explain this new development on the elevator ride up to the Argent's apartment, Chris opens the door to their room while saying, "The word is 'guardian', you guys. And more than anyone, Alison, you know that's a role I haven't exactly lived up to lately."

He feels Nixie slap him in the back of the head, to which he turns and asks, "Really?" "Adults are not above reproach when they start acting stupid. So yes… really." Alison takes Nixie's arm in hers, happy to have Nixie on her side. Following her dad, she says, "She took Scott's mother, and Stiles' father. That's not a coincidence."

Nixie nods, and then points to Stiles and nods even more firmly when he says, "Yeah, I'd also take into consideration the fact that someone put your name up in large block letters on the elevator doors. That kind of felt like a warning to me." And Nixie adds, "A warning as big and bright as a freaking neon street sign."

Alison steps up to the desk beside Nixie and Stiles and says, "I think it might be Morrell. She knows a lot more than she lets on, and she might even be trying to help us." Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "First of all, I still don't exactly like that woman. Second of all, I don't really see her as being the type to give warnings in block letters on elevator doors. She's always been of a more subtle type of hint-giver."

Stiles nods and adds, "And third of all, if she is trying to help us at all, then she needs to get on that a lot faster. Okay? Because the lunar eclipse is less than two freaking nights away." Nixie nods to that as well, and puts a hand to Stiles back in comfort while Chris says, "Stiles, don't give up hope." But Stiles shakes his head and says, "He could already be dead."

Nixie slaps him lightly in the back of the head and says, "I told you we would find him and that there was no other option. Get with the program." Then she looks to Chris when he says, "Besides, I don't think he's dead. There's something about Jennifer's tactics. It's like she's still positioning… still moving pieces into place."

Alison leans closer to him and says, "And you're one of them." "I believe you. So… let's not wait around to see her next move."

Unfolding the map and putting it on the table, Chris says, "Everything's she's done has been on a telluric current. So, Melissa and Noah have to be somewhere on one of these currents, right?" Nixie nods, and then as Stiles sighs hopelessly again and moves to maybe sit, Nixie yanks on his arm and forces him back to the table.

Raising at eyebrow at her and the fact that she manhandled him just now, Stiles says, "Nix, I just…" "Stiles, you can mope or whatever, later. Right now, if we're going to find them at all, we all have to focus here." Putting a finger to his temple, Nixie adds, "You're not Lydia-level genius, okay? No one is. But, you are one of the most intelligent people I know. So use that brain of yours, and help us figure this out."

Stiles stares at her for a moment, and then sighs and says, "Look… you I get. Always. But…" He turns to Chris and asks, "You? I mean, you seriously want to go after her? What if she just takes you like the others, huh? I mean, no offense, but what's the difference between you and them?"

Chris just loads his gun and says, "I'm carrying a fourty-five." Locking the loaded clip into place, he adds, "And yes, I know your dad shot her. Nixie told me. Maybe she can heal from a shot to the leg and a few slashes to the face. But personally I'd like to see how she holds up with half her skull blown off."

Nixie smiles at him and says, "See? This is why I liked you from the beginning. You talk about blowing peoples' heads off. I talk about killing people all the time. And neither of us thinks it's a very strange thing to seriously think about." Chris grins at her, and then says to all of them, "We have one priority right now, and that is to find Melissa and Noah." Nixie nods, "And we've got the map and every clue we could possibly need now to try and figure this out."

Turning to Stiles, Nixie says to him, "But we are running out of time. We can't sit here and debate all night about whether either of them is still alive right now. Until we hear otherwise, or find a body ourselves, we work under the assumption that they are, in fact, alive."

Stiles stares down at her for a moment longer, and then kisses her forehead before turning to Chris and asking, "Where do we start?" Chris pulls out his UV light to shine on the map and says, "The place where the sacrifices have been committed have usually been different from where the bodies have been found. Now, I think the placement has to do with the strength of the current. There's the school, the animal clinic, and the bank."

Nixie nods as she looks down where Chris is pointing, but then turns to Stiles when he says, "Wait a sec. She wouldn't use the same place twice, would she?" He looks to Nixie to see if she knows, and Nixie looks to Chris to see what he thinks. Shaking his head, Chris says, "Only if she didn't succeed the first time."

Nixie looks back to Stiles, and they both nod before saying, "Deaton." Alison nods too and says, "Scott's boss." Chris points to that spot on the map and says, "He was the only failure. That could mean something."

Stiles sighs though and says, "Okay, but that's just one place so far. We're gonna need a lot more help." Nixie tosses up her hands and says, "Again. I'm right here. And I'm as fast as can be on my bike." Alison grins, but then asks, "What about Lydia?" Nixie turns to her, and then says tentatively, "Maybe."

Chris looks at both of them and asks, "Lydia? What can she do?" Stiles answers, "Uh… she's sort of got a talent. She somehow ended up finding a couple of the bodies, um… without actually looking for them." "Okay, so what is she? Psychic?" Stiles sighs helplessly and says, "She's something."

"Banshee." All eyes turn to Nixie, who nods to herself before looking up at them. "Oh… um… when Ms. Blake was trying to kill her and Lydia screamed… she called Lydia a wailing woman. A banshee."

Chris nods at that, and then says, "We'll have to look more into that later. For now, you two…" he points to Stiles and Nixie, "go and find Lydia and see if there is something she can do. And as for us…" He looks to Alison, and then nods towards their cases of weapons and equipment. Grinning a little, he says, "Let's get ready."

As they unpack their stuff… which is a lot of stuff, Nixie moves to stand near Chris and says, "I should come with you. You'll need all the help you can get. I can fight now, better than I used to." "I know that Nixie. And that's why you need to be one of the people with Lydia. For some reason, Ms. Blake wanted her dead. You need to help her figure out exactly what that is. And you need to keep her safe, in case Ms. Blake tries to do it again."

Nixie doesn't think Ms. Blake would dare to come back into town and try again. But… she's also not willing to take the chance that she might. Sighing, Nixie points to Chris and says, "Don't you dare die. Either of you." She points to Alison too, who hugs her and says, "We'll be careful." Nixie nods, but then as they continue preparing, she sighs and says, "I still don't like the idea of just you two going alone."

And then they all turn to the doorway as Isaac says, "I can help there." Nixie smiles at him and asks, "How's Cora?" "Still not getting any better. Derek… is with her. Perfecting the art of doing nothing." Isaac was clearly unhappy with his former alpha… but he smiles gently at Nixie and says, "But I'm here to help in any way I can. I can't shoot a gun, or an arrow. But I am getting pretty good with these."

He snaps out his claws for emphasis, and Nixie grins before turning towards Chris and saying, "If he goes with you, I will offer up no other arguments." "Agreed. Let's go."

* * *

Ms. Martin, sitting next to Lydia in her room, smiles gently as Lydia gingerly touches the bruise that circles her neck, marking the place the chord had been. "Okay sweetheart, this is not a problem. Having gotten my share of hickeys in high school, I developed some patented cover-up methods."

But as she begins digging through some of the cosmetics, Lydia stops her by placing her hand over top of her mother's. Looking back up at Lydia, Natalie says, "If you don't want to go to school, honey, you don't have to."

Lydia shakes her head though and says, "That's not it. It's just… someone tried to strangle me, and I survived." Tilting her head up proudly, showing off the bruise more, Lydia says, "I don't need to hide that."

"Damn straight." Lydia looks into the mirror, past herself and back to the doorway, where Nixie now stands. Smiling and rising from her seat, she moves across the room and wraps Nixie in a tight hug. Breathing out against her slowly, Lydia says, "Hi. Where have you been?" "Oh, that's a long story."

Hugging Lydia back, Nixie then looks up at Natalie and says, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. Just… had to make sure Lydia knew just how correct that last statement was." Natalie smiles and says, "You are always welcome here Nixie. And you are never an interruption. We're happy to have you. I was gonna help Lydia with her hair." Nixie nods, and then as Lydia leans back, she grins and says, "I'd offer to help in that category… but we all know I'm hopeless."

Lydia laughs, and then tugs Nixie in and says, "Come on. We'll braid yours the way you like." "Fine. But only because I'm not leaving anytime soon. Oh, and Stiles will be over in a little bit. He wants to check on you."

Lydia nods, but as Natalie steps into the bathroom to get the straightener, Nixie gently grabs Lydia's elbow and says, "We need to talk. And if possible… we need to make this fast." Lydia nods again, and then asks, "What's up?" "A lot. But I'll fill you in later."

* * *

As soon as their hair is done, Stiles arrives right on time. Walking in, he raises an eyebrow at Nixie and her braid, but doesn't comment. It's not like he hadn't seen it before. But… was now really the time for that.

And in the interest of keeping Natalie satisfied that they weren't about to go somewhere else dangerous and scary… yes, Nixie believes it was.

And now they fill Lydia in on what's happened. Shaking her head, Lydia says, "I don't believe it. Scott can't really be with them. He can't be." Nixie nods and says, "He's not really. At least… not entirely. He's part of the pack enough to make use of them. Once we get this sorted, we'll have him back." Lydia nods to that, and then says, "In the meantime, what can I do? I mean, I get that I'm some kind of human Geiger counter for death. But I don't know how to turn it on and off yet. All I know is that she tried to kill me because…"

When Lydia pauses, a thoughtful look taking over her features, Stiles leans forward and asks, "Because of what? Hey… Lydia, what is it?" Looking up at them again, Lydia says, "When she called me a banshee, she was surprised by it. So… that can't be the reason she wanted me dead. It has to be something else." Stiles nods and Nixie asks, "But what? I mean… you finding her dead bodies too fast would definitely be something I could foresee as a problem for her. What else could she want you dead for?"

Lydia shrugs and says, "I don't know. But that's what we need to find out." Nixie nods, and then says, "Alright. So… I think the best place to start would be the school." Stiles jerks to look at her, nearly falling down in the process, and then asks, "What? Why? Why are we talking about school right now?"

Nixie gives him a look, and then says, "Not actually attending class Stiles. Just starting at the school. Ms. Blake has been our English teacher all year. The one place she's actually seen all of us, apart from that one time in Derek's loft when Boyd was killed, has been at school. So if she was going to find a reason to want Lydia dead, it would've been while at school."

Stiles ponders that for a moment, and then stands up straight and says, "Alright. I can't believe I'm actually saying this. But let's get our asses to school." Nixie nods, and as they head out the door for their vehicles, she blinks when Lydia stays by her side. Shrugging, Lydia holds out her hand for the spare helmet, and then says, "You're faster than me or Stiles. Just get us there without crashing." "That I can do, my dear Lydia. That I can do."

* * *

Glancing at her phone again, Lydia says, "Aiden isn't texting me back." Stiles stops where he is in the hall, gritting his teeth and spinning in a circle while trying to think of another idea. Nixie looks down to her phone and sighs while reading it. It was Isaac, letting her know that Chris had been taken. And the man had actually just stood there… given himself up to the darach.

Nixie makes a mental note to slap Chris in the back of the head when they get him back. Hard.

Looking back up at the others, she says, "It's from Isaac." Stiles turns to her and asks, "What?" "Isaac. He just texted me. Ms. Blake took Chris. The man just… up and let her take him. Stupid, foolish, insane man just…"

She stops listing all the things that she thinks Chris is right now, when she hears Stiles say, "She's got all three now." Lydia looks between both of them and says, "There's still time. We still have time, right?"

But as Stiles starts gasping softly for breath, like he somehow suddenly can't get enough, Nixie holds up a hand for Lydia to stop asking him questions. Watching as he does a full circle before facing them again, Nixie looks carefully into his face before saying worriedly, "Panic attack. He's having a panic attack." Lydia's eyes widen and she asks, "What do we do? What does he need?"

Nixie grabs one of his arms and says, "Come on. We need to get him to the locker rooms. I'm pretty sure they're empty right now."

As they get in the doors, Nixie takes Stiles bag from his shoulder and lets Lydia guide him the rest of the way inside. He collapses against a set of lockers, falling to the ground there, still gasping for breath. Lydia is on her knees with him, desperately trying to think of how to stop this. "Just try and think about something else Stiles. Anything else."

Still gasping, he asks, "Like what?" "Uh… happy things. Good things. Friends, family…" When Stiles looks up at her like, for the first time, she's stupid; Lydia curses under her breath and says, "Ugh… I mean, not family. Oh God, okay… um…"

Nixie moves to Stiles other side. Pushing against his chest, forcing him to lean back against the lockers and keep a straighter posture, she says, "Slow your breathing Stiles. We've been through this before. You have to slow it down. Smooth it out and slow it down." And he tries… he really tries for her. But the gasps just keeps coming and he puts a hand to his chest over hers while saying, "I can't… I can't… Nix… Nix, it hurts."

Moving to hug him, Nixie says, "I know. I know. It'll pass. You just have to slow it down. Breathe like me. Here…" She puts his hand to her chest, against her heart, and says, "Try again. Breathe like me." He tries again, but he can't. He even tries to just hold his breath for a moment, but it only causes him more pain.

Lydia cups his face in her hands, and says, "Look at me Stiles. Just look at me. Sh, it's okay." Nixie puts her hand against his chest again, feeling his rapid and accelerated heartbeat. If they didn't get him to calm down, she didn't know what was going to happen or what they were going to do.

And then Lydia drew him in, and was kissing him. Nixie blinks in surprise at that, but feels the rate of Stiles' heart in his chest immediately begin to calm and slow.

It was definitely one hell of a way to get someone to hold their breath for a minute. Lydia held his face gently in her hands, keeping him close… her own eyes closed in the moment.

Nixie slowly removed herself from Stiles and stood up, backing away so that when they parted, they could have a small moment alone. Amidst all the chaos that was around them and that seemed to never be ending… they needed it.

Standing outside the locker rooms, waiting for them to come out, Nixie texts Scott on her phone. Just simply, _"Let me know you're safe."_

It lifts her spirits a little when, not even a full minute later, Scott replies with, _"I am. Are you?"_ Smiling a little, Nixie sends back, _"For now. Keep you posted." "I'll do the same."_

Leaning back, she sighs and says, "Alright Nixie, think. Where can we go to find answers?"

"Morrell." Opening her eyes, Nixie looks up at a perfectly fine Stiles now. Smiling and hugging him, Nixie then says, "Don't do that to me again." "Sorry. And… you wanted to know where we're going to find answers? We're going to Morrell. Come on." "Sounds good."

As they head that way, Nixie nudges Lydia's arm. Grinning, Nixie asks, "Is that how you stop a panic attack? I had no idea." Lydia blushes a little, but nudges Nixie back and says, "Shut up."

At the counselor's office, they step in to find Danielle sitting in a chair waiting She was the same girl that had helped Scott sober up Nixie and Stiles while at Lydia's birthday party the previous year. Stiles asks her, "Are you waiting for Morrell?" Danielle gives him a look and says, "No, I thought this was gym class."

Lydia spins to her and says, "Sweetheart, we're not in the mood for funny." But Stiles rolls his eyes and huffs when Nixie says, "Always time for sarcasm though. Solid. Nice." Danielle grins her appreciation at the praise, but Stiles looks to Nixie and says, "Really? My dad is still missing." "And your dad is mine. I know. We will find him. But biting off the other girl's head in the room… not going to help."

Then Nixie turns back to Danielle and asks, "You know where she is?" "No. And I've been sitting here for twenty minutes waiting. And I like you, but I have some serious issues to work out. So…" Stiles steps up though and says, "Wait… You're Heather's best friend." Growing somber at that, Danielle says, "I was Heather's best friend. And we've been working on that issue three times a week."

Nixie puts a hand on Danielle's shoulder in comfort, but then they look at Lydia when she asks, "Hold on. Did you say Ms. Morrell was twenty minutes late?" Danielle nods and adds, "And I don't know why either. She's always on time."

Lydia turns to Nixie and says, "I was seeing her at the beginning of the semester. She was never late." Sighing, Nixie says, "Which makes it easy to assume that she's not late." Stiles nods and adds, "She's missing. Come on. Let's get to looking." As Nixie moves to join Stiles in searching the desk, Danielle sits up straight and demands, "What are you doing?" Nixie glances up and says, "Sorry hon. But we're short on time. We need to know what Morrell knows. And we need to know it now."

Danielle pauses for a moment, but then points and says, "Those files are private." And Lydia, though she wants to find her just as much as the other two, concedes, "Yeah, she's kind of right." Nixie nods, and then holds up Danielle's folder and says, "Not looking in here." Danielle relaxes back into her seat while Stiles pulls out another folder, passing it up to Nixie. Nixie glances at the name, and then holds it out to Lydia and says, "And that's yours."

Lydia takes it and opens it up, searching through some of the documents that were in it.

Stiles is still searching, when Nixie taps him on the shoulder and then points to Lydia's file. At first he doesn't see it, but then Nixie points again, at the drawing that Lydia made that was in the file. Standing up, Stiles says, "Wait… that's your drawing. The one you were drawing when we were trying to find Deaton." Lydia nods and says, "Yeah, I know, it's a tree."

Danielle stands up to look at it, and then says, "And it's good too." Lydia glances at her, and then says, "Thank you." But as Nixie pushes Stiles to go look, she says, "Not the point Lydia. It's the same one." Blinking, Lydia asks, "Same as what?" Stiles moves to look down at it and says, "Same one you're always drawing in class." "It's a tree. I like to draw trees."

Stiles and Nixie both huff and then say together, "It's the exact same one."

Danielle looks between the two of them, and then asks Lydia, "Do they do that a lot." "No, but it's often enough that it's not surprising to me anymore." Nixie gives Lydia a look and a grin before pointing and saying, "Look. It's the exact same. Each time. See?"

Lydia looks down with Stiles at the tree she's always drawing. And every page they look at… it's the exact same tree. Nothing different about it at all.

As they keep flipping, Danielle grabs her bag and says, "Okay, you guys can have my session. You've definitely got bigger issues." Nixie looks up at her and says, "Thanks!" Then she looks back down at the drawings with them.

While they're still flipping through the drawings, Nixie freezes for a moment while looking at it. From her position on the other side of the desk, she was seeing the pictures upside down. And when you looked at it upside down… it didn't exactly look like a tree.

Grabbing Stiles hand and pausing him from looking at more, Nixie then takes the page in his hand and flips it around for them. Pointing her finger at the paper, Nixie looks up at them and says, "Not a tree. A stump. With plenty of roots."

Stiles looks up at her, and then says with wide eyes, "We know where they are."

Lydia looks between them both and asks, "Where? Where are they?" As they file out of the room, Nixie says, "The Nemeton." Stiles nods and adds, "That's where she's keeping them, it has to be." Nixie nods in agreement, but then they all stop when FBI agent Rafe McCall shouts, "Stilinkski." Stiles grits his teeth, and then turns to the two of them and says, "Go to Derek, alright? He and Peter have been there before. One of them has got to know where it is." Nixie nods and says, "Root cellar. I remember. Are you sure you'll be alright?" "Sure. I'll…"

"And your friend!" Stiles spins around to look at Scott's dad, and then asks, "Which one?!" Rafe gives him a look and says, "The one that was with you at the hospital." Nixie rolls her eyes, and then asks, "Can't I just yell rape and then leave?" Stiles grins, but says, "I wouldn't try it." "Great." Nixie turns to Lydia and asks, "How do you feel about driving my bike?" "Um…" "I thought not. Stiles, give her yours keys. We'll catch up as soon as we can Lydia. Promise." "Alright."

As Lydia walks away, Stiles and Nixie turn to face McCall. Looking at both of them, he then asks Stiles, "Did you know your dad's car is in the school parking lot and has been since last night?" Stiles runs a hand through his hair and says, "No. What does that mean?" Rafe doesn't look proud or unkind this time as he talks to them and says, "It means he's officially missing."

Nixie and Stiles look at each other as Rafe walks them into an empty classroom. Then Nixie holds out her hand, and Stiles gives her a short high-five before they turn to face McCall again, determined to annoy the man into letting them go as fast as possible.

He questions them about where Noah might be, but they tell him they have no idea. Which, in a sense, is the truth. They know he's at the Nemeton, sure… but they have no idea where that is. Yet.

Rafe sighs and says, "Guys, why am I getting the feeling you know something that could help us find your dad?" Nixie turns to him and asks, "Are you accusing Stiles of not wanting to find his father? Do you have any idea how close these two are? Do you have any idea what an utterly stupid question that is?"

To Stiles again, Nixie asks in a loud whisper, "Seriously? Is he…" and she points to her head again. Stiles grins at her, and then turns back to Rafe and says, "And based on Nixie's accurate assessment, if I did know something, why would I not tell you?" Rafe shrugs and asks, "If it meant helping your dad, why wouldn't you?"

Nixie turns to look at Rafe again and says, "Is that not the exact same question Stiles just asked you? I mean, I get sometimes answering a question with another question. But come on. You can't just repeat the same question Stiles just asked. That's copyright infringement. It's gotta be."

Stiles nods, and Rafe sighs before asking, "Are you going to tell me, or not?" Blinking in pretend confusion, Stiles asks, "So you're asking me to tell you what I wouldn't not tell you?" Rafe gives him a look, and then says, "First, I have no idea what you just said. Second, how about you just help me out?"

Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "We don't know how to help you help us tell you something that would help you if we don't even know it."

Rafe looks to her, and then back to Stiles. He flits between the two for a moment, and then asks, "Are you doing this on purpose?" Nixie holds up a finger and says, "Being unhelpful? No. Being annoyingly sarcastic about it? Yes."

Rafe looks about to comment on that as well, but Stiles says, "Look, we don't know anything. Okay? Can we just go now?" But Rafe shakes his head and asks, "Where are your other friends?" Stiles asks, "You mean Scott?" Rafe nods and says, "And Isaac Lahey, Alison Argent, these twins, Ethan and Aiden. I've been told your whole little clique didn't show up at school today."

Nixie shakes her head in a wide gesture and says, "Whoa, whoa, back it up! Ethan and Aiden! They are not our friends! Let's get that straight, immediately. No. Definitely not. Okay?" Stiles nods, and then says, "And we don't have a clique." "Guys, come on. There's been a pretty disturbing amount of violent activity in this county in the last few months. Okay? Several murders tied to this school. Now… I don't know what's going on here, but it's serious. And… hey, look at me."

Nixie glances at Stiles, who was looking out the window for a moment. His legs were bouncing almost without his permission. They needed to get out of here. They needed to go now.

Putting a hand on his knee, she tenses when Rafe repeats, "Your dad is missing, Stiles. Do you…"

Nixie snaps herself in front of the man before he can finish his sentence. Glaring up at him, she says, "We are acutely aware, that Noah Stilinski is missing. We are also aware of how bad that is, given all the deaths that have been happening recently. So… given that we've already told you we don't know anything; why do you go do your damn job, and find him."

Taking a step closer, actually making Rafe step back from her in surprise and concern, Nixie adds, "And don't you dare come anywhere near threatening my boy again. I'll probably go to jail for it, but I'm not above kicking your ass and putting you in a hospital for months."

Rafe stares at her for a moment, and then Nixie turns and says, "Come on Stiles. We're leaving." But Rafe catches her arm and says, "You two shouldn't go home alone, either of you. Is there a place you can stay tonight?"

"They're with me." And as Nixie turns to see Deaton in the doorway, she sighs and says, "Thank God." Grabbing Stiles' hand, Nixie sends one more glare Rafe's way, and then quickly follows Deaton out the door. Deaton puts a hand around her shoulders and asks, "Happy to see me?" "Immensely. We need to find the Nemeton. Any ideas how?" "Maybe. Let's get back to the clinic. Gather your friends."

* * *

When everyone is there, minus Scott of course, Stiles says, "Alright, look. It has to be on a telluric current… or maybe even at the axis of two, or where they all intersect." Nixie nods in agreement and says, "That's all we know, pretty much. And it's where Derek took Paige to die."

Alison adds in, "My dad and Gerard were there once. But Gerard said it was years ago and he couldn't remember where it was." Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "I call bullshit, but we don't exactly have time to go and beat the answer out of him." Alison nods in agreement, and adds, "And my dad obviously isn't here to tell us now." Stiles nods and says, "Yeah, ours either."

Alison blinks for a moment in confusion, but then looks at Nixie and understands that Stiles is including her as a child who lost Noah Stilinski. Lost him… but is determined to get him back. Whole and intact.

Isaac asks, "So how do we find this place?" Nixie looks up to Deaton at that, waiting for their emissary to tell them if there is any option they've overlooked, or any way they haven't thought of yet, to try and find this thing.

Nodding, he says, "There might be a way. But it's dangerous. And we're gonna need Scott."

All eyes shift to Nixie, who jumps for a moment when the sudden shift in attention occurs. Then she pulls out her phone and says, "Everyone just take a chill pill. I'm on it. And count me in Doc."

But while the phone is ringing, Nixie doesn't miss how Deaton says, "Unfortunately, the most dangerous part of this won't be falling on her. It can't. But I do still have a delicate part for her to play."

* * *

"How'd you guys find out about the Nemeton?" Nixie answers, "Lydia." Moving to the front of Stiles jeep, where they'd driven it into the woods, Stiles asks, "You?" Scott says, "Morrell. None of the other alphas know where it is either." Stiles asks, "So if this works, are you gonna tell them?"

Nixie raises an eyebrow to Scott in question, to which he replies, "I can't beat Jennifer without them." Deaton looks between all three of them, and then says, "How about we concentrate on finding your parents first?"

Scott nods eagerly and asks, "What's the plan?" "Essentially you, Alison, and Stiles need to be surrogate sacrifices for your parents." Scott looks to Nixie and Stiles and asks, "We die for them?" Stiles nods and says, "But, he can bring us back."

Then, after a moment of thought, Stiles asks, "You… you can bring us back, right?" Deaton looks to him and says, "You remember the part where I said it was dangerous?"

And then he looks down at Nixie, and then nods and says, "But yes. I'm quite certain I can bring you back. If all goes well, the three of you will be dead for a few seconds. But… there is something else you need to think about. This is a dangerous thing for more reasons than one."

He pauses and looks to Nixie when she says, "The one that we've already discussed is the only one I'm really concerned with right now." "I know darling. Sorry. But Scott needs to know." Nixie nods at that, and then says for Deaton, "If you do this, you give power back to the Nemeton. A place that hasn't had power for a long time." Deaton nods and says, "This kind of power is like a magnet. It attracts the supernatural. The kind of things that a family like the Argents can fill the pages of a bestiary with. It will draw them here."

And as a final touch, Nixie adds, "Like a beacon. Beacon Hills will literally become a beacon. Who knew?" Scott grins at her a little, and then looks to Stiles when he says, "It doesn't sound any worse than anything we've already seen."

Scott grins again when Nixie slaps Stiles in the back of the head. And when he turns to ask her why she just hit him, Nixie says, "We've been at this for a year. You really think we've seen anywhere near even half of all there is to see? Please…"

Deaton nods and says, "It's true. You'd be surprised at what you have yet to see." Scott nods in understanding, and then asks, "Is that it?" And Deaton puts a comforting hand on Nixie's back when she answers for him, "No."

Scott looks to Nixie, and then back to Deaton as he asks, "What?" Deaton answers, "It'll also have an effect on the three of you. You won't be able to see it. But you'll feel it, every day for the rest of your lives. It'll be kind of a…"

Nixie crosses her arms and says, "Darkness." Deaton nods and says, "A darkness around your heart. And permanent… like a scar." Scott lifts his eyes and says, "Like a tattoo."

Then he looks at Nixie again. She was clearly not happy about any of this, and it was easy to understand why. If it were her that could do it, it would be a different story. She'd jump into the tub of ice in a heartbeat and die repeatedly if she needed to, for each and every one of them.

But she couldn't. None of the adults taken were her parents. And her connection to them, though strong, wasn't as strong as the one Stiles, Scott, and Alison shared with them. It had to be them, to make this sacrifice.

And for Nixie, it went against her very nature… against everything she believed, to simply sit back and watch them basically die. Hell would freeze over, she always said, and Scott had always believed it. And now… now she had to let it happen, or risk not finding their parents at all.

Walking up to her, wrapping her in a hug, Scott says, "We'll be alright. You'll all be keeping an eye on us. It'll be fine." Nixie doesn't answer, just hugs him back tightly. Scott looks over at Stiles, who whispers gently, "Yeah, you're gonna have to let her hold you for a minute or two. Alison and I already have bruises from how hard she squeezed us." Grinning a little, Scott kisses the top of her head and says, "It's alright Nix. We'll get through this and we'll save them. Now come on. You can hold me while we ride back to the clinic. Let's go."

* * *

As the last bag of ice is dumped into the water, Deaton says, "Alright. What did you bring?"

In order for this to work, all three of them had to bring an object, a significant object of importance to their parents. Stiles holds up his, saying, "Um… I got my dad's badge. Jennifer kind of crushed it in her hand. So… Nixie helped me hammer it out a bit." Nixie nods, and says sadly, "Still doesn't look great."

Deaton offers a kind smile and says, "It doesn't need to look good, if it has meaning."

Isaac glances down at the bullet in Alison's hand, and then asks, "Is that an actual silver bullet?" Alison nods and says, "Yeah, Nixie was good enough to run and get this for me too. My dad made it as kind of a ceremonial thing. When one of us finishes learning all the skills to be a hunter, we forge a silver bullet as a testament to the code."

Deaton nods, and then asks, "Scott?" Scott nods and says, "Nixie found the watch. Um… my dad got my mom this watch when she first got hired at the hospital. She used to say it was the only thing in her marriage that ever worked."

Deaton nods, and then, just to clarify, he asks, "Did Nixie go and retrieve all of these?" All three nod, and then Stiles asks, "Why, is that bad? It's just… she's the fastest on her bike and all. So…" Deaton smiles gently and says, "Not bad. Good actually."

Gesturing to the tubs, he says, "Okay. The three of you will get in. Each of us will hold you down until you're essentially… well, dead. But it's not just someone to hold you under. It needs to be someone who can play a part in pulling you back. Someone that you share a strong connection with. A physical tether to reality."

As he's suspected, all three sets of eyes turn to look at Nixie. Closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to ward off tears, Nixie looks at Deaton and says, "I don't have enough hands and I can't choose." Deaton nods and says, "Which is why you will be playing a different part in this. Isaac, Lydia, and myself, will physically hold them under."

Nixie blinks and asks, "What?" "Don't worry dear. I will get there. In the meantime, we need to divide the rest of us into pairs."

As Lydia prepares to go with Alison, Deaton says, "Lydia. You go with Stiles." Nixie doesn't doubt that's a good choice… but Alison and Scott can't hold each other under. So…"

But Nixie looks to Isaac, sees him watching Alison more closely than ever. It hadn't been lost on her that… maybe there could be something there. She just hadn't been aware that they'd gotten that far yet.

Alison asks, "Are you sure? I mean, Scott and I both have to go under." Deaton just gives them a knowing look. The wise man saw everything. And as Alison and Isaac meet each other's gazes… they knew what was expected now. Alison then turns to Scott, an apology almost on her lips. But Scott quickly says, "It's okay. It's okay."

As they line up at the tubs they'll each go in, Alison on the left, Stiles in the middle, and Scott on the right, Nixie finds herself standing in front of them, just watching them.

Watching and waiting. That was all she was going to get to do, it seemed. Watch them die and then wait for them to come back to her.

As the others prepare to enter, Deaton says, "Keep your eyes on Nixie if you can." Nixie looks to him briefly, but then switches between looking between each of her three friends. Her boys, and one of her girls. All three about to die… about to give themselves up as sacrifices.

What she wouldn't give to take their places.

And they could see that. Deaton nods as all three of them straighten up, as they suddenly become more brave, more willing to do what needs to be done. To Nixie, Deaton says, "You are their emotional tether Nixie. We are each with them physically. They'll feel us in that sense. But you… you need to be the last thing they see before they go under."

Watching all of them carefully as they begin sliding into the water, Nixie asks, "Why?" "Because you give them strength. In the darkness that they are about to enter, you are their beacon of light. They know where you stand. They believe, wholeheartedly, in what you've told them before. They know that even if it doesn't begin to work, if you think they're about to slip away, you will grab them and pull them back to you."

Nodding to her firmly, Deaton says, "Be their gateway. Be their light in the darkness. Bring them home." Nixie nods back to him, eyes flitting between the three of them in the tub.

They watch the way her hands clench. Both in fear and anger. She doesn't want it to be them. They see her eyes scanning over them, calculating in her own head just how much she thinks they can take. Calculating when she thinks she'll need to pull them out.

As freezing cold as the water their sitting in happens to be, the three of them still feel a sense of safety and security wash over them. Scott, for himself, takes a deep breath in. He could always smell her, and the sense of safety, the scent of home that she carried with her like her own personal perfume. But now… now he soaked it in, let it coat his senses and fill him up to the brim.

Opening his eyes to look at her again, he nods and says, "We've got this Nixie. We'll come back to you. Promise." "You better. I'll kick your asses if you don't."

All three grin, and then Stiles says to Scott, "Oh… by the way. In case I forget when we do get out of this, you should probably know something." Scott looks to him, and then to Nixie, who nods and says, "Your dad's in town."

Scott's eyes widen in surprise, but then he smiles as he shivers when Nixie says, "Don't worry. I'll make sure he knows his place. You just… you know... focus your ass on getting back to me. Understand?" Scott nods, and then Nixie looks to the others and asks, "All of you, understand?" Alison and Stiles nod too, and then they take a few final breaths, before Deaton, Lydia, and Isaac shove them down into the water.

Nixie's eyes never leave the water. Not when Lydia can't keep her hands on Stiles any longer in the frigid ice. Not when Isaac and Deaton finally give out too.

It lasts way more than a few moments. And every second longer they remain, is a second that Nixie wonders if she should've already pulled them out to the safety of the warm room in the clinic.

But something inside of her tells her that they're still fine. Somehow, she knows they're not in danger of really dying yet. They need more time. Just a little more time.

Lydia eventually comes up beside her and says, "Have a seat Nixie. It… looks like it's going to be a while." But Nixie shakes her head and says, "I'm the last thing they saw when they went under. I'm going to be the first thing they see when they come back out. So long as they are in there, I will be right here."

Lydia doesn't argue. A few more hours later, Isaac comes up with a chair and says, "You should rest. You'll need your energy when we go to find Ms. Blake and the others." But Nixie shakes her head again and says, "They aren't resting. Only heaven knows what they're actually seeing in their heads." Glancing at Isaac, she says, "Catch some sleep Isaac. You could use it. But I don't rest until they do."

Another hour later, Deaton moves to her side. Glancing at him, Nixie says, "If you're here to tell me to sit, sleep, or move from this spot, please just leave me alone."

He hands her a cup of coffee. Not like Stiles makes for her… but it's not bad. Then he hands her a bowl of ramen noodles and says, "Eat and drink." She does, and then asks, "You don't want me to sit and sleep?" "I do. But you won't. That's why you're perfect as the emotional tether." Putting a hand on her shoulder, he says, "You don't realize how much strength you give them. Your faith in them… the fact that you chose them and would die to try and prevent anything from happening to them. It lets them know how special they are, because of how selective you happen to be. It lets them know how precious they are, and it makes them believe they can be strong for you, because that is what you are for them. You become what they need you to be."

Looking at the tubs, he says, "And in this instance, they find themselves in a position where they can return the favor, and be what you need them to be." "Deaton, I need them to be alive."

The man just nods and says gently, "Precisely."

* * *

Chapter 11! Done! Just one more to go! The anticipation is mounting! AH! I'll try to get it posted as soon as possible. Promise.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 12: Episode 3x12

After Scott, Stiles, and Alison all found the Nemeton in their minds, meeting each other after each finding it on their own, Stiles looks around and asks, "Anyone got any brilliant ideas on how we're supposed to wake back up?" Scott shrugs and says, "I was honestly hoping you'd have an idea at this point."

Running a hand through her hair, Alison says, "We've got to think of something guys, and fast." Stiles nods in agreement, and then straightens up as a thought hits him. Spinning around in a circle, looking around them, he asks, "Where's Nixie?" Scott blinks and says, "Um… she didn't get in the water dude. Remember?" "No, no, not like that. I mean here, in all of this. This is the night we were looking for the body, right?" Scott nods, and then his eyes widen as he catches on and says, "Right. She was with us. Um… at this point, she should be…"

They all jerk to the side when they hear Scott, the one from the past, cry out in pain. Pointing, Scott says, "That's when Peter was biting me. Come on, she's this way." They all sprint in the direction of Scott's pained cry, and when they finally come up on him again, they get there just in time to see Nixie sliding down the hill, grabbing a large branch on the way down.

Scott had never actually gotten to see what she'd done before; not exactly. He knows the wolf was suddenly off of him that night, and then Nixie was grabbing him to help him get away. But now, watching it play out, his eyes widen when, without breaking stride or pausing to stare at the huge ass wolf, Nixie swings the branch as hard as she can, knocking Peter back from him.

As Nixie grabs Scott and they sprint away, the other three follow the two figures to the road, where Alison's mom, driving the SUV, nearly hits them again. Alison had already seen this part play in her mind tonight, but now she understood exactly who they'd almost hit that night.

They watch as Scott looks down at the bite mark, and then Alison can't help but laugh a little while the boys grin as Nixie said, _"I'm going hunting sometime soon and I will track and kill him."_ Stiles chuckles when they hear that Scott's reply was to ask, _"Do you even know how to track?"_ Looking to the Scott from the present, Stiles asks, "You doubted her." "Oh, never. I just wanted to see what she'd say." And they all laugh when Nixie simply said, _"It was a huge ass black wolf that was at least two times the size of a normal wolf. How hard could it possibly be to find?"_

Following the two, they watch as Nixie then made sure Scott knew that she was going to worry about him for right then, and he simply told her, _"Yes ma'am."_ And then Nixie told Scott to remind her that she needed to hit Stiles in the back of the head because this was stupid, and Scott was hurt, and she needed to hit something.

And when they hear a far-off howl in the night, all three burst into laughter when Nixie said, _"So help me, if we actually die out here tonight, I'm coming back as a ghost and I will haunt Stiles for the rest of his life."_ As the Nixie and Scott from the past walk off down the road, the Alison of the present asks, "Do you think this will work? Just… following the Nixie of the past?" Stiles shrugs, "Deaton said she was our emotional tether. Our light out of this dark place. Seems to me, if we're going to get out, we need to follow the light. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I certainly wouldn't be anywhere even close to happy right now, if we hadn't just been with her again."

The other two nod, and then all turn when they see a glimmer of brightness in the direction that Nixie had been walking. Running up to her again, Scott says, "I have an idea. If it works, follow right behind me."

He walks up to Nixie, reaching past where his past self's arm is, so he can grab onto Nixie's shoulder.

Scott vanishes a second later, and Stiles and Alison both glance at each other before, one right after the other, they grab onto Nixie, and vanish right behind him.

In the past, at that time, Nixie hadn't known or understood what that sudden sensation had been. She and Scott had been walking in relative silence for a while, when she felt a light pressure, followed by what felt like a breath of fresh air, wafting over her body. It didn't make any sense to her, because Scott should've been the only pressure she felt, his arm over her shoulder, walking with him down the road.

But at the time, she knew she didn't mind the sensation. In fact, there was something that felt very right about it… so she hadn't brought it up. It happened two other times directly after the first, and then didn't happen again.

And she'd honestly never thought about it again… until this moment in the present, when she suddenly felt that breath of fresh air rush through her system again, followed this time by the pressure on her shoulder, rather than the pressure being first, as it had been at the beginning of last year.

It was just registering in her mind, just what that sensation must've meant, and relief was flooding her system as Scott's hand then became the first to surface out of the water before her. Gasping in relief, she turns and says, "GUYS! THEY'RE UP!"

Stiles and Alison's heads pop up out of the water shortly after Scott's, in time with the two other rushes of air that Nixie feels rush over her body. Scrambling for blankets as the others hurry in to join her, Nixie throws one at Scott, and then wraps one around Alison and then Stiles.

Now, no offense intended to Stiles. He was just as tough as the rest of them. But Nixie had been calculating in her head, trying to figure out which one of them would most definitely need to be warmed up and helped the most when they first got out. Alison had been trained as a hunter, and was accustomed to some harsher conditions. Scott was a werewolf. He was like his own personal heater now, most of the time anyway. He'd be fine.

That left Stiles. He was not weaker, but he was the least trained out of all of them, and therefore the least prepared to deal with the freezing-cold aftermath.

Which is why, as Alison and Scott were wrapping themselves in towels, explaining that they'd seen the Nemeton and knew where it was, Stiles found himself wrapped in one of the tightest hugs Nixie had ever given him.

He hugged her back, resting his cheek on top of her hair. He could feel that she wasn't much warmer than usual. Even after he'd been laying in a tub full of frozen ice for a while, Nixie's own body temperature still only did a little to help heat him up physically.

It didn't matter though. She could've been freezing right along with him, and he wouldn't have let her go right then.

Scott looks to Deaton and says, "I saw it. I know where it is." Stiles nods and, still holding Nixie tight, adds, "Yeah, we passed it. There was this stump. This huge tree." He pauses for a second, and then says, "Well, it's not huge anymore. It was cut down. But it's still big, though. Very big." Scott nods and says, "It was the night we were looking for the body. Remember Nix? You were there too?"

Nixie frowns in confusion, trying to recall if she remembered stumbling upon any huge stump. But Stiles reassures her, "You wouldn't remember it. It wasn't something important to notice at the time. Besides, pretty sure you were more concerned about helping Scott get away from Peter. It was that same night, you remember that?"

Nixie nods to that, and then turns to see Alison when she says, "I was there too, in the car with my mom. We almost hit someone on the road. I didn't even realize it was Scott and Nixie until now." Scott grins at that, and then turns to Deaton and says, "Point is… we can find it."

But while these three look happy about the results of the trip they took as surrogate sacrifices, Deaton, Isaac, and Lydia all look at each other, still very worried. Glancing at all their faces, Alison asks, "What?" Isaac sighs and says, "You guys were out a long time." Lifting his cheek from Nixie's head, looking around the room for a moment, Stiles asks, "How long is a long time?"

Deaton answers, "Sixteen hours." Scott's eyes widen as he asks, "We were in the water for sixteen hours?"

And then all heads swivel to look at Nixie when she says, "Sixteen hours, twenty-three minutes, and nineteen seconds." Stiles pushes her back from him gently so he can see her face. And now that he's looking at it closely, he can see the faint beginnings of the black circles forming under her eyes. She was as alert as ever, as she always was.

But she hadn't slept since they'd gone under. And as he glances up at Deaton, he asks, already knowing the answer, "Has she even moved since we went under?" Deaton shakes his head and says, "No."

Alison looks from Nixie to the others, and then asks, "Didn't you try to make her?" Lydia lets out a short bark of laughter and says, "Honey, that's like asking if we tried to force a hurricane to switch directions so it didn't hit dry land. Pointless." Scott looks over to Deaton's side, noting the trash can that had been brought into the room that usually wasn't there. And it was filled to the top with coffee cups and some bowls and wrappers from the food they must've managed to get Nixie to eat and drink.

But she'd never moved. Of course she hadn't. Scott grins at her, and then asks, "And you know down to the second, how long we've been in there?" Nixie nods and says, "I've been counting. And you people, all of you, scared the shit out of me. None of you are ever allowed to do that again. Ever. Literally, not ever." All three grin and nod to her, and she breathes a sigh of relief before saying, "Good. Now, onto a more pressing matter at the moment. Since you guys have been down for over sixteen hours, that means the full moon rises in three hours, thirty-six minutes, and forty-one seconds. Actually, it's less than that now."

Deaton smiles gently at her, and then says, "Point being, our timeframe has been drastically diminished. We need to make a plan, and we need to make it now." Nixie nods and says, "I stand behind the Doc on that one. So… any theories?"

Stiles blinks and asks, "You don't have any yet?" "I have had one sole focus for the past sixteen hours. And that has been to watch you three and make sure you didn't so something stupid, like die on me. Now that we're in the clear on that point, we can focus on other areas, like how to take out a darach, get rid of an alpha pack, and save all our parents."

Scott leans back against the tub and says, "I need to get back to Deucalion." Stiles spins around to look at him, nearly slipping and falling down, except Nixie caught him and righted him before he could. Taking a towel and scrubbing his thoroughly soaked hair, Stiles says, "No, dude! You're not going back with them." Scott looks at him and says, "I made a deal with Deucalion."

Stiles huffs and then asks, "Does anyone else think that sounds a lot like a deal with the devil?" Nixie nods and then edits, "Well, more like one of the devil's top demons, but that's not a whole lot better either." Stiles points to her in agreement, and then they look to Isaac when he asks, "Why does it matter anyway?"

Scott sighs, but then looks to Nixie, pleading for understanding, when he says, "Because I still don't think we can beat Jennifer without their help."

While Nixie moves to stand in front of Scott, eyes meeting his and trying to get a read on him, Alison looks to Deaton and says, "Aside from Nixie, Scott trusts you more than anyone. Tell him he's wrong."

Deaton moves to Nixie's side, watching as she watches Scott. Then Nixie looks up at Deaton, who says gently, "I'm not so sure he is. Circumstances like this sometimes require that you align yourself with people you'd normally consider enemies." Nixie nods after a moment, and then says, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Isaac looks at both of them, and then asks, "So we're just gonna trust him? The guy that calls himself 'death, destroyer of worlds'? We're gonna trust that guy?" Deaton shakes his head, eyes still on Nixie, as he says, "I wouldn't trust him… no." And Nixie nods before finishing, "But use him."

Scott looks between the two of them, and then asks, "How?" Deaton turns to him and says, "Deucalion may also be our enemy… but for the purposes of getting rid of Jennifer, he could also be the bait." At Scott's confused look, Nixie adds on, "Jennifer is as angry and hell-bent on revenge as she is… because of Deucalion. He's the alpha that decided to form an alpha pack. He's the reason Kali beat and slashed her up and then left her to die."

Nodding in understanding, Scott says, "Get Deucalion and Jennifer to meet elsewhere, and buy time for you guys to get to the Nemeton and get our parents." Nixie nods and says, "Great. So… how should be go about doing that?"

But before they can go into that, they hear the door to the clinic open. Frowning and turning towards it, Nixie shouts towards the front, "We're closed." "Nixie?"

They all move towards the door at the sound of Ethan from the front desk. Raising an eyebrow, Nixie asks, "Ethan? What are you doing here?" "I'm looking for Lydia." Lydia moves to stand next to Nixie and asks, "What do you want?"

Ethan looks at her for a moment, and then says, "I need your help." Nixie would've asked, but Stiles appears in the doorway, putting himself between Lydia and Ethan, as he asks instead, "With what?"

Lydia grins up at Stiles a little, but then looks back at Ethan when he says, "Stopping my brother and Kali… from killing Derek."

For a moment everyone is silent… not really knowing how to process the idea that Scott had been correct, and they'd actually managed to convince Ethan that the ways of his alpha pack were screwed up and not right.

And then everyone relaxes and even chuckles a little when Nixie points at him and says, "You… I knew there was a reason I didn't dislike you as much as the rest. Alright. So I'm driving. Lydia, you're with me. And… Ethan… you'll just have to see if you can keep up."

Raising an eyebrow as she and Lydia step forward, Ethan asks, "You think I can't?" But as they head for the door, Lydia assures him, "Hell has a hard enough time keeping up with her to help her meet out her vengeance on swift wings. What makes you think you'll fare any better?"

* * *

At Derek's loft, Ethan says, "We know about the lunar eclipse. So don't think Kali's gonna sit around waiting to level the playing field. She's coming." And then, in a more somber tone, he adds, "And my brother's coming too."

Peter, immediately says, "Good enough for me. Derek?" Derek, arms crossed over his chest, asks, "You want me to run?" "No. I want you to stay and get slaughtered by an alpha with a psychotic foot fetish. Of course I want you to run! Sprint, gallop, leap your way the hell out of this town."

Nixie was about to turn around and try to punch Peter in the face, but Cora holds onto her, still resting her head on Nixie's shoulder.

The minute Nixie, Lydia, and Ethan had walked into the room, Nixie's first reaction was to ask how Cora was. Then, Derek gestured to where Cora was standing, now perfectly fine after what he'd done to save her, sacrificing his power as an alpha to heal her completely. Nixie had given Derek a brief hug after that, and then quickly moved over to Cora and wrapped her in a hug as well.

Cora, like all the others that belonged to Nixie, had always been able to smell that strange sense of safety, security, and home that surrounded her. But this was the first time it had engulfed her. It was like somehow, amidst all that had happened, Nixie had finally let her all the way in, and now the scent she gave off was overpowering… but in a good way.

So Cora held on, basking in that scent. But she looked up at Derek and gave her opinion, "If you wanna fight and die for something, that's fine with me. But do it for something meaningful."

Nixie puts a hand gently to the back of Cora's head, and then finally says, "Glad you're okay by the way. Just FYI." Cora laughs and says, "Yeah. I noticed. The hug kind of gave it away." "Well, you never know. You might just think I give out random hugs for no reason. Which, I sometimes do… but right now, that's not what this is." "Noted."

Derek grins at both of them for a moment, and then turns back to Peter and asks, "How do you know I'm gonna lose?" Peter shakes his head and says, "We don't. But I'll bet she has an idea."

All eyes turn to Lydia when he says that, and Peter begins moving, asking, "Don't you Lydia?" But as he approaches her, Cora lets go of Nixie, knowing that she won't be held back this time. And before Peter can get much closer, Nixie is blocking his path. Finger stabbing into his chest, Nixie says, "Any closer, and I will save Kali the trouble of having to deal with you before getting to Derek."

Lydia relaxes with Nixie as a barrier between herself and Peter, and then says, "I don't know anything." Peter looks down at the finger Nixie leaves on his chest. And smartly, on his part, he doesn't move. But he does look to Lydia again and asks, "But you do feel something… don't you?"

When Lydia doesn't answer immediately, Derek asks, "What do you feel?" She still remains silent for a moment, but Derek doesn't ask again. He watches as Nixie turns so she can see Lydia too, who is glancing around her as though trying to decide how she feels… as though searching for the right words or phrase to describe it.

Nixie doesn't move from in front of Peter, ensuring he stays there. But she does say gently to Lydia, "Hey." Lydia looks to Nixie, who then says, "Don't overthink it Lydia. You know how easy that is for you to do. Just… tell us. What does it feel like to you?"

Lydia ponders it a moment more, and then says, "I feel like… like I'm standing in a graveyard."

After a moment of silence, Nixie sighs and says, "These pregnant silences we keep having are becoming entirely too frequent." Looking to Derek, she says, "That's obviously not good. You should leave. Cora, you should go with him."

Moving her gaze to Peter, Nixie pulls her hand back, but still says, "You can stay. That would be fine." He gives her a look, but she simply turns back to Ethan and Lydia and says, "We'll stall them. Give you guys a head start." Peter nods in agreement with that, but Derek steps up to Nixie and says, "I don't like it. She could hurt you."

Nixie smiles at Derek and says, "She can try. But since Lydia is here with me, and she'll have to go through me to get to Lydia, and there is no way in hell that is happening… I doubt it. So… I suggest you pack a bag and get out. You have five minutes, and then I will literally start trying to kick your ass out the door."

And even Ethan is grinning, and then chuckling with the others when Nixie asks, "Why are you all laughing, Derek? I am as serious as I've ever been. Now get your ass moving."

* * *

Nixie has just informed Lydia that Scott, Alison, and Isaac have been delayed by Scott's dad at the Argent's apartment, when the alarm in the loft begins going off. Nodding, Nixie says, "Rather timely, in my opinion."

Then the alarm box is slashed and torn from the wall as Kali makes her way into the room. Glaring at them, she asks, "Where is he?" Lydia snaps her fingers and says, "I think he said he was heading out to do some shopping. Run a few errands. Right Nix?" Nixie nods and says, "Some food, new clothes, maybe a TV finally for this place. I mean, it is rather sparse in here, you know?" Lydia nods and says, "Exactly. You see? Just the usual werewolf afternoon."

Snarling slightly, with Aiden standing at her back, Kali asks, "Who do you think you're talking to?" Lydia folds her arms over her chest and says, "Someone in desperate need of a pedicure. I'd be happy to give you a referral." Nixie nods and says, gesturing to Lydia, "I'd take it if I were you. You need some serious help, and Lydia would definitely be the one to know who would be best to help you with your… serious overgrowth problem."

Kali takes two more strides forward, but as Nixie moves to stand in front of Lydia, barring the way to her, Aiden growls from behind Kali. Turning to face him, Kali asks, "Oh really? Did someone take their little assignment too seriously?" Aiden looks past Nixie to Lydia, who puts a hand to Nixie's back, gripping at the fabric of her jacket worriedly. Nixie glances back at her briefly, and then sighs but nods her head.

Lydia might not be in love with him. He was still just the distraction she'd needed. But he was… or at least potentially could be, a friend. And Lydia cared about him.

Which meant that… well, Nixie wasn't about to risk life and limb to try and save Aiden… but she wouldn't just stand there and watch him die. She'd do something.

Lydia's hand relaxes and Ethan watches as Nixie switches her stance. There was a blade edging it's way into her hand now, where it hadn't been before. If Kali had gotten close to Lydia, Nixie would prepared it then. She hadn't been going to prior to that.

Not until Lydia silently asked for Aiden's protection. And Ethan couldn't help but feel a little more relaxed himself as well. Somehow… having Nixie on his side of saving Aiden… it made it seem that much more plausible and achievable.

Aiden then looks to Kali and says, "She's not the problem." Kali moves in front of him and says, "Maybe the problem is where your loyalties lie."

As those two continue to stare each other down, Lydia asks from behind Nixie, "Oh God… is this about to get really violent?" Nixie glances back at her and grins a little before saying, "It's cute that you sound like you thought it would turn out any other way."

Lydia gives her a look, but then all eyes shoot up towards the sky as the glass overhead of them shatters. Nixie grabs Lydia and Ethan and shoves them over to the side, past the falling debris. And she's glad when none of it manages to hit her either. She had enough scars already this semester. She was hoping to avoid any more for a while.

As she turns back to see what happened, she finds Ms. Blake now standing there, amidst the shards of glass. Rising to her feet, Ms. Blake then asks Kali and Aiden, "So… who's first?"

Kali ends up going first, getting thrown back into a nearby metal column from the force of Ms. Blake's power. Then Aiden went after her, and after he got thrown across the room, Nixie didn't try to hold Ethan back as he went to try and help his brother. Trying to stop Ethan from helping his twin would've been like trying to stop Nixie from helping any of her pack. Pointless, stupid, and ineffective.

The wonder twins try to join together into 'Voltron Wolf'… but Ms. Blake rushes for them, grips them by their throats, and then somehow pulls their bodies apart, keeping them separate and tossing them to opposite ends of the room.

Then she turns back to where Kali is now standing. Coming at Ms. Blake, she flips through the air, her long-clawed toe nails flying with her, trying to strike Ms. Blake and kill her. But Ms. Blake is good, Nixie will give her that. She dodges Kali smoothly, and then waits for Kali to turn back and finally really look at her.

When Kali stops, Ms. Blake nods and says, "That's right Kali. Look at me. Look at my face. Do you know what it takes to be able to look like this? To be able to look normal?" And Kali is looking at her face, and as Nixie watches the exchange with Lydia still at her back, even Nixie doesn't fully believe her when Kali says, "I don't care."

Ms. Blake just smirks and says, "It takes power. Power like this." And as she raises her arms by her sides, several of the broken and jagged shards of glass on the ground rise into the air with her. They spin around for a while, as the storm over their heads rages and rises in intensity. And then, as all of the shards stop and pinpoint themselves directly towards Kali, the female alpha says, "I should've… I should've ripped your head off!"

Ms. Blake screams, throws her arms forward, and with that motion, all of the shards go flying as well. And every single one, no matter where it had been in the room, hits Kali in the front of her body, penetrating deep past the flesh.

It didn't matter that she was an alpha. It didn't matter how strong or powerful she was. Even Nixie knows, there is no way she's coming back from that. One of the shards had sunk down into her chest, directly where her heart would be. Kali was dead. There was no mistaking that.

Not that Nixie was really concerned about that. The pointy-toed werewolf needed to die in her opinion.

What concerned her now was that Ms. Blake was now looking at Lydia. But as she approached them, Ethan and Aiden growled from behind her. They'd managed to get up and quietly work towards each other, forming together into their mega wolf.

In the end, however, it didn't matter. They came at Ms. Blake, prepared for a fight. But with her power and agility, she dodged their attack, came around behind them, wrapped an arm around their neck, and then jerked back. Nixie could hear the breaking of bones from where she stood. Either their neck or their spine… Ms. Blake had definitely shattered something.

And being that the mega wolf was two people in the same body… somehow Nixie knows that definitely has to have an ill-effect on both of them. Blood pooling from their mouths, the 'Voltron Wolf' lands on the floor hard, and Nixie watches as their eyes don't even blink.

Were they dead? I mean… Kali… Nixie knew she was dead. But the twins? Were they… it didn't seem right to her. Not completely anyway. They weren't hers… and they were far less hers to care about then Boyd had been. But she did care about Ethan, at least a little bit. And she didn't… she didn't yet feel like some small part of her world was again crumbling beneath her, like she had when Boyd had died.

But she can't focus on that. Ms. Blake has her attention on Lydia again, who is gasping behind Nixie. Smirking at them, Ms. Blake says, "What's the thing coach likes to say? The bigger they are…"

As she begins stalking towards them, Nixie pushes herself more firmly in front of Lydia. Blade slipping into her hand, Nixie finishes, "… the bigger they are. You need to stop." "And why is that, Ms. Haven?" "Because I am at my wits end and might, very possibly, actually be able to kill you if you threaten one more person that matters to me today… or the rest of this year!"

Ms. Blake grins a little at that, and then says, "You needn't worry. I'm not going to hurt you." "I am not concerned about me." Ms. Blake chuckles in an evil way, and then says, "Fine. But I'm not going to hurt Lydia either. I need something from her."

Lydia, now backed up behind Nixie and against one of the metal columns in the loft, asks, "What do you want from me?" "I want you to do what you do best, Lydia. I want you to scream."

And though frightened, and even more frightened when Ms. Blake revealed her true and terrifying real face… Lydia doesn't scream. Ms. Blake actually frowns and asks in what sounds like genuine curiosity, "You're… not scared by my face?" Lydia stares at her for a moment, still trembling.

Then Ms. Blake sees it. Lydia had a hand against Nixie's back, clutching at her jacket tightly. Her other hand was on Nixie's side, squeezing just as tightly.

And where Lydia was quite terrified of Ms. Blake and her appearance, Nixie was completely unfazed. Was she a terrifying individual? Sure. Yes. But Nixie didn't consider her face to be a part of that. There were others in life with worse deformities… people born a little different or people who had been to war and come back with scars that most people couldn't imagine sustaining.

Nixie didn't have a problem with scars and bruises. Ugly, for her, wasn't defined by someone's physical appearance. It was defined by who they were, on the inside. So yes… Ms. Blake was a truly hideous individual, in Nixie's opinion.

But it had absolutely nothing to do with her face. Not really.

And where Lydia was terrified… Nixie was not. Worried… yeah, she was worried. She remembers how Ms. Blake tossed her across the classroom before when they'd come to save Lydia the first time. She knew that in order to beat Ms. Blake, she'd need to be even more careful. And she was worried that, if she told Lydia to take her bike and run, that Lydia wouldn't actually do it.

But she wasn't backing down. Ms. Blake looks to Nixie now, and then reaches out swiftly and grabs her by the throat. Nixie clamps a hand around Ms. Blake's wrist, refusing to let go and be thrown to the side. But Ms. Blake doesn't try to throw her. She simply squeezes tight enough to start choking Nixie, and then looks to Lydia again and says, "Scream."

Lydia gasps at seeing Nixie being held in the air by Ms. Blake's one hand. But when Nixie meets her gaze, Lydia can see the determination there. She didn't want Lydia to scream for her. If it was something that Ms. Blake wanted her to do… then Nixie most certainly didn't want Lydia to scream.

But as Ms. Blake squeezed tighter, Lydia saw a flash in her mind. A flash of what would happen if Nixie died… all because Lydia didn't scream.

She wasn't going to let that happen. And without any further hesitation, she let out a wail that rivaled all the ones she'd let out before it.

Ms. Blake dropped Nixie to the ground, and then stared at her in confusion when Nixie immediately clamped her hands over her ears. Lydia's yell was deafening to those who had normal hearing… and Nixie's had always been sensitive, even for a human.

The fact that she could hear the sonic emitters that Chris had shown them before was a testament to that.

Nixie looks up at Lydia while she's screaming, and when she's finally done, Nixie removes her hands and sighs before standing up. Giving Ms. Blake a look, Nixie asks, "Do I need to threaten you, or is it just apparent that if you step any closer to her, I will try to kill you?" "Apparent." "Good."

Moving to Lydia's side, Nixie asks, "You alright?" Eyes glancing at the still conjoined-twins on the floor, Lydia begins to ask, "Are they… are they…" Nixie shushes her gently, and then holds her in a comforting hug before saying, "I don't know. I… I don't know."

As they sat there together, wondering exactly what Ms. Blake was waiting on; and why of all things, she'd simply wanted Lydia to scream, Nixie figures it out when Derek and Cora come running in the door. Looking up at both of them with wide eyes, Nixie huffs and asks, "What the hell Derek? You were supposed to leave?" "I was. Then I heard Lydia. I knew we had to come back."

Nixie looks over at Ms. Blake, and then narrows her eyes and says, "I hate her." Derek doesn't argue with that, and then sends Cora over to see that Lydia and Nixie are okay. Nixie has some bruising on her neck, but nothing as major as Lydia's mark from the garrote.

And as Derek questions why Ms. Blake was even here, having killed Kali and apparently the twins, she says she did it for him. Giving her a skeptical look, Derek asks, "You did this for me?" Ms. Blake nods and says, "For us. For anyone who's ever been their victim." Derek stares at her for a moment, and then glances over and asks, "Nixie?"

Turning to look at Derek, Nixie asks, "What?" "Opinion on that?" "Oh. Well, I call bullshit. Like… from a hundred miles away, bullshit. But that's just me." Derek nods, and then says to Ms. Blake, "Stop talking to me like a politician. Stop trying to convince me of your cause."

Ms. Blake frowns and says, "Fine. I'll convince you of someone else's. Scott." Nixie stands up from the ground and asks, "What the hell would you know about his cause? Like you actually give a shit." Ms. Blake glares over at her, but then says, "Derek… you can save his mother, and Stiles' father?"

And though Nixie doesn't like Ms. Blake any more than she did a moment ago, she doesn't hold anything against Derek for immediately asking, "How?" Smiling again, Ms. Blake says, "I need a guardian. That's a role that can either be filled by the three parents I was forced to take, or by you."

Nixie glares at her and says, "You don't even need them anymore. You've had your three sacrifices." Ms. Blake gives her a confused look, to which Nixie says, "I'm not even gonna start going into that right now." And then Derek said, "Besides, I can't help you. I'm not even an alpha anymore."

Ms. Blake shakes her head in disagreement and says, "All I need is for you to help me get Deucalion in the right place, at the right time." Derek gestures around the room and says, "You just killed three of the alphas on your own. What do you need me for?" "You haven't seen Deucalion at his strongest. I have. And if he's got Scott with him, I don't stand a chance… unless I have you."

Cora, from where she is still tending to Lydia, snarls and says, "Derek, don't trust her." Ms. Blake glances back at her, but then ignores her and says to Derek, "I have the eclipse in my favor. But the moon's only gonna be in the earth's umbral shadow for fifteen minutes. That's the extent of my window."

As Derek still mulls over his options; still hesitates, Ms. Blake snaps, "There is no decision to struggle with. Help me kill him and the others live. Just help me!"

Derek stares at her for a long moment, and then says, "Nixie." Nixie, who had been glaring at Ms. Blake and waiting to see if the woman would move in a way Nixie didn't like… turns to look at Derek. He nods to her gently, and then asks, "Scott?" Nixie blinks at him, and then glances back at Ms. Blake, who is now looking at her too. Back to Derek, Nixie asks, "Derek?"

He knows she doesn't want to give up where Scott might be. Not because Derek wanted to know. If it was just Derek in the room, she'd tell him. But she didn't want Ms. Blake to know. She didn't want to give Ms. Blake anything.

But Derek needed to know in order to make his decision, so he nods again and says, "Please." Nixie stares at him a moment more, and then concedes, "He's with Deucalion." Derek nods, and then says to Ms. Blake, "I'll help you. But make no mistake. If we do this, and anyone that we're trying to save still dies, I will kill you."

Ms. Blake doesn't argue with that, and as she heads for the door, Derek moves to Nixie and says, "I'll bring him back. I promise." But as he prepares to leave, Nixie grabs his arm. Leaning in close, Nixie says, "I can't tell you everything. I can't… or you might tell her something that I don't want her to know."

Derek moves so he can look down at her face, and as she meets his gaze, she says, "But I will give you this. Just remember this one thing." Derek nods that he will, and Nixie says, "Deucalion, isn't always blind. Just… remember that. It's gonna come in handy."

He nods again, and then kisses her on the forehead before saying, "Be safe." "As safe as I can be."

As soon as he's gone, Cora says, "We need to get going. We need to get help." But as she helps Lydia to her feet, Lydia asks sadly, "From who?" Cora sighs and says, "I don't know. But we can't just stay here." Nixie nods in agreement with that, but as they're preparing to leave, they all pause when they hear a sort of cracking sound from behind them. And upon turning around, they see two bodies where one large one had been.

Coming back down to the twins' sides, Cora says in amazement, "They're alive." Nixie puts a hand to Ethan's forehead, and then leans down so she can hear his heartbeat. It's not exactly a steady and strong one yet… but it was there, and getting better.

She sighs in relief… but it's short lived when she gets a text from Scott which says, _"Stiles didn't meet us at the entrance for the preserve. I don't know what's happened. He isn't picking up. I'm with Deucalion."_ Nixie stands up and texts back, _"I'm on it."_

Then she looks to Cora and Lydia. Tapping Cora on the shoulder, she says, "Keep an eye on her. Can you get these two out of here without me?" Cora nods, but as Nixie turns to leave, Lydia catches her arm and asks, "Where are you going? What's happened?" Nixie answers, "Scott's with Deucalion. Alison and Isaac are searching the woods. Stiles is MIA right now. I'm going to find him, and then we're going to help Isaac and Alison. I'll try to keep you posted beyond that, alright?" "Okay. Nixie… please be careful." "Yeah. You two do the same."

* * *

As Nixie races on her bike towards where her GPS locator says Stiles is, she receives a text message from Alison. Now… Nixie is all about obeying the rules and not texting while driving and not reading texts while driving. She understands that those rules are in place and serious and necessary.

But desperate times… right?

Opening it up, she reads, _"Isaac and I are in the cellar. We're trapped! Isaac is holding the roof up over us, but I don't know how much longer he can do that. If it gets any heavier, it's going to cave in."_ Gritting her teeth, Nixie speeds up while haphazardly typing, _"Tell him to hang on. If he and the rest of you even come close to dying, I'm gonna kick his ass first, and then get to the rest of you after that.."_

When Alison reads the return text on her phone, not clearly spelled out, but clear enough that she gets it, she moves towards Isaac and says, "Nixie says just hang on. And if you die with all the rest of us in here, she's gonna kick your ass first." Isaac grins a little while hefting the beam a little higher, supporting the majority of the weight of the roof above them.

Noah looks over at them, and then asks, "Who are you texting? Scott?" Alison shakes her head and says, "Nixie."

Chris glances over and asks, "Where is she?" "I don't know. She just said to hang on. She's coming."

Noah doesn't miss the look of relief that enters both Isaac and Alison's face. Glancing at the other two adults, who look a little bit relieved as well, Noah asks, "What is she? They didn't say she was…" Melissa grins and says, "She's not supernatural. At least, not like my son. She's just…"

And they look to Isaac when he says for her, "A force of nature to be reckoned with." Alison grins at that, and then looks over at Noah and says, "She'll be here. She'll get us out. Or… you know… keep us from dying down here."

Noah looks back to Melissa and Chris and asks, "How do they know that?" Chris pats Noah's shoulder and says, "I think, as a general rule, Nixie has forbidden them from dying on her. And then, along with that rule, she moves mountains to keep the people she cares about with her."

Isaac chuckles a little, and when he finds everyone looking at him, he hefts the roof a little higher and says, "It's just… something Scott told me once when I said the same thing." Chris asks, "And what was that?" "That Nixie didn't move mountains. Mountains get the hell out of her way."

Alison smiles again and says, "I believe that." "Yeah. Me too."

* * *

When Nixie finally gets to Stiles, she drags him out of the jeep and checks to see that, aside from the spot bleeding from his head, he's alright. Wiping it clean with the sleeve of her jacket, she shakes him and says, "Come on Stiles! Wake up! We've got to go!" Dropping him on the ground when she sees his eyes fluttering open a little, she then moves back to the jeep. Opening the trunk, she grabs two of the bats from the back, both aluminum. Then she sprints back to Stiles.

He's still a little out of it… until Nixie slaps him in the face. Eyes snapping open, he touches his cheek and says, "Owe!" "I know! I'm sorry! But we don't have time! We've got to go! Come on!"

He doesn't even argue about leaving his jeep behind. He hops on her bike behind her and holds on tight as she speeds up the road, into the preserve, swerving and dodging trees and debris on the way to where Stiles leads her.

When they get there, Nixie does nearly crash her bike, but that was for needing to stop so suddenly. The ground around the Nemeton was caving in on all sides, which explains why Isaac and the others were being crushed beneath it.

Laying her bike on it's side on the ground, not bothering to make it stand up, she tosses a bat to Stiles and says, "I really hope this works. I'm out of options." "What? What works? Nix…"

But she's sprinting away from him already, towards the cellar doors.

Inside, Isaac is shoving up, trying to keep them alive. But the weight is becoming too much. And even with everyone's help, there is only so much they can do. Everything keeps falling in on top of them, it keeps getting heavier.

Alison and Isaac look at each other, briefly wondering if this is it. Is this really how they're going to die… after everything.

And then they hear a voice say, "Drop it!"

Noah blinks in surprise when Isaac and Alison move almost instantly at the command. Nixie leaps down into the cellar, slides on her back so she's directly under the beam, and holds the bat in her hands so it stands on its head.

The beam falls and caves in… stopping on the bat she left under it to hold it up. Sighing in relief, she shouts, "Stiles! Get down here with the other one!" Stiles hops down and positions the other bat at a different point under the beam, finally understanding what Nixie was trying to do.

When it becomes apparent that they aren't going to be crushed now, Isaac lets out a bark of relieved laughter before looking down at Nixie. Breathing her own sigh of relief, she slumps down against the ground. She was exhausted… but it wasn't over yet. Opening her eyes and looking up at him, she gives him a thumbs up and says, "Nice job." "Thanks."

Noah looks at his son, and then at the bats that were positioned under the beam. Then he points and says, "I always said aluminum was better than wood." Stiles just lunges at him, wrapping his dad up in a hug. Sighing in relief, he then laughs when he hears Nixie say from behind him, "By the way Noah, in case it wasn't already apparent, don't you ever dare come this close to dying on me again. I will, I swear to God, kick your ass too. And what the hell are you laughing about Stiles? You, wrecking your jeep and then making me have to come find you, leaving me thinking you might somehow already be dead. You're on thin ice too, buddy. All of you are on exceedingly thin ice. It's ridiculous, really."

Stiles lets go of his dad to move closer to her. Helping her up and wrapping her in a hug, he says, "Thanks for getting me. And thanks for thinking so fast on your feet." "Yeah, well… I learned that from the best, now didn't I?" She grins at him, and then looks around and asks, "So, for the record and my sanity, we're all still fine for now, right?"

Everyone nods at that, and then as the earth around them shakes and more of the ground above them caves in, Nixie sighs and says, "Heavy emphasis on the 'for now' bit."

Then she looks over at Noah and asks, "And you're on board now, right?" Noah nods, and then points at Melissa, who explains, "I've been filling him in on everything I can while we've been down here." "Oh! Excellent. Saves me an exceptionally long conversation." Noah moves to her side and says, "Still need to talk about all of this though." "Obviously, my dear Noah. But at least I don't have to explain every little detail now. I had to do that with Lydia over the summer. It was exhausting."

At Noah's confused look on how Nixie can seem so… herself, right now; Stiles puts a hand on his shoulder and says, "Yeah, she stayed worried for a little while, but that didn't work out so great for her, or us in the end. So I think she's putting off really freaking out until after she's certain we're all gonna end up fine."

Noah turns to him and asks, "Most people can't help it. Freaking out is just what happens." Stiles nods, but then smiles in Nixie's direction and says, "Most people aren't Nixie. And right now, freaking out isn't what we need from her. And until we don't need anything crucial from her… she's gonna hold off on that."

Noah watches Nixie a moment longer, watches as her eyes take in their surroundings and inventory. In particular, she was staring at the opening where the stairs had collapsed in. She paused for a moment when Noah moved to her side and asks, "What are you thinking exactly?" "I'm wondering if Isaac, with his werewolf strength, could possibly be able to toss us up and out of here, one at a time. And I'm also wondering how safe that would actually be if the earth around us keeps caving in like it is."

She was calculating a few seconds more, before Noah pulled her in close and wrapped her in a hug. And then he just waited.

Stiles grins when Nixie finally sinks into the embrace. Wrapping her arms around Noah in return, clutching him tightly, she says, "Please don't do this to me again. Please." "I promise to do everything I can to try and avoid it." "Good." Stiles moves to join them after that, wrapping around the other side of Nixie in a group hug.

And then Nixie hugs everyone else. Melissa first, and then Chris, and then Isaac, and then Alison. Sighing against her friend, Alison says, "Thanks for coming so fast." "Like you actually expected me to come slowly. Let's be real here. I think I broke my record for just how fast over the speed limit I'm willing to go. Just ask Stiles."

They all laugh, and then laugh even harder when Stiles says, "Yeah, it was actually much more terrifying than all of this. Nothing like Nixie breaking the sound barrier to make you feel alive, and terrified for your life, all at once."

* * *

As the winds died down and the ground stopped caving in, Nixie glanced around at everyone one last time to make sure they were okay. Then, nodding to herself, she grabbed Isaac's arm and said, "Come here." Pulling him over to the opening, she says, "Throw me."

He blinks at her, and then asks, "Um… it's a long way up. I… I don't know…" "Just throw me up as high as you can. Try to make sure you toss me at one of the sides so I can grab something if I don't make it to the top." Back to the others, Nixie says, "The rest of you stay here."

As Isaac grabs hold of her by the back of her neck, as gently as possible, Stiles asks her, "Where are you going?" "To find Scott and Derek. To make sure both are still alive. And to kill Ms. Blake and Deucalion if either Scott or Derek are dead." Glancing at Isaac, she nods and says, "Give it your best shot."

She doesn't make it quite to the top, but it is pretty damn close. Grabbing onto some of the strong roots that stretched this way, she pulled herself up towards the ground above, and then shouted back, "Thanks Isaac! That was good!"

As soon as she's up, she sprints back to her bike, cranks it up, and then speeds towards the old distillery, where she knows Scott had planned to lure Ms. Blake.

* * *

Upon arriving, sprinting into the door, she does indeed find that it's all over. Derek and Scott are still alive. Deucalion is still alive and… no longer blind. And Ms. Blake, in her true form, is bleeding out on the floor beneath them.

Walking further inside, looking at the circle of mountain ash that had a space of ridged and brokenness to the circle, Nixie looks up at Scott and asks, "What happened?"

He shines his eyes at her in answer. A bright and powerful red in the place of where his golden eyes had been. Smiling widely at him, Nixie launches into his arms and says, "I always said you'd be a good alpha. And now you are one. And a true alpha to boot. Do I know how to pick em', or do I know how to pick em'?" Chuckling, Scott says, "Given those options, I guess you know how to pick em'." "Damn straight."

Leaning back from her, Scott asks, "The others?" "Found em'. Everyone's fine. Kind of stuck at the moment, but fine. You should call Stiles." Grinning, Scott asks, "You aren't already dialing his number?" Nixie shakes her head, and then sighs and says, "Alas, I did forget about one tiny detail in the grand scheme of all our scheming the past two days." "And what's that?"

She pulls out her phone and says, "Amidst watching you three sacrifice yourself, and trying to save Derek, and trying to set up Ms. Blake, and trying to save our parents… and a bunch of other stuff, I forgot to charge my phone. It died literally a minute after I sent Alison one more text message. I'm lucky it worked long enough to keep Stiles' GPS location on the screen."

Scott nods and says, "Next birthday present will be a special charger you can attach to your bike for your phone." "Aw! Thanks!"

Then Nixie looks to Derek and asks, "And you?" "I'm fine." And then Nixie turns to look at Deucalion. Frowning and narrowing her eyes at him, she asks Derek, since Scott is on the phone, "How pissed am I at him?" "Considering he failed… I wouldn't say very. I think he's having a bit of a revelation, actually."

And yeah… Nixie doesn't dislike him as much as she did before. Still not overly fond of the man… but she doesn't hate him, so there's that. Scott, nearby on his phone, asks Stiles on the other end if everyone is okay. And then when Stiles asks if he's okay, Scott answers, "Sort of. Got a lot to talk about later." "Yeah, I hear that. Think you can come get us out of here?" "Yeah. Nixie and I will be there soon." "Great. Okay, um… bring a ladder."

Scott blinks at that, and then turns to Nixie and asks, "I need a ladder?" "Oh yeah. They're like stuck way down beneath the ground." "Then how the hell did you get here?"

And Stiles, still on the phone, says, "Oh, she didn't tell you? Our little compact ninja had Isaac throw her, literally toss her, up and out of the hole. Never seen anything like it. And I think Isaac would've argued, except… well, it's Nixie. Kind of pointless." "Right."

Hanging up with Stiles, Scott asks, "You had Isaac throw you out of the hole?" She simply nods, and then looks between all of them when they just stare at her, even Deucalion. "What?! I needed to get to you! And my phone was dead!" "You could've borrowed Stiles?!"

Nixie blinks for a moment, and then rubs at her eyes and says in way of explanation, "I'm tired." Scott nods to that, remembering that she hadn't gotten any rest in at least a twenty-four-hour period. Which, you know, Nixie could still function on less… but it was a high-stress situation. Thinking of things as simple as borrowing someone's phone came second to thinking of things like getting to Scott to make sure he was alive.

Nixie determines she'll work on that in the future.

As Derek and Scott debate on what to do with Deucalion, Derek eventually letting Scott make the decision, since he was the alpha now, Derek says, "My mother told me you were a man of vision once. We're letting you go because we hope you can be that man again." Scott nods and says, "But if you're not, then having your eyesight back won't matter. Because you'll never see us coming."

And in spite of the seriousness of the situation, both of them grin when Nixie says, "I call shotgun on whatever ride we're in when we go after his ass to kill him. Just FYI. What? Why are you laughing? I'm serious!"

As they prepare to leave though, Deucalion steps forward and says, "I know I have no right, and it's not my place. But I have a request." Scott turns to him and asks, "What?" Deucalion then looks to Nixie, and says, "Her number."

Scott actually growls a little, but then turns to Nixie and says, "It's up to you. I know how picky you are about that. You don't have to give him anything."

Nixie nods, but then approaches Deucalion. Tilting her head as she looks at him, sizing him up for a moment, she then holds out her hand and says, "Phone." He hands his over, and as she puts her number in, she says, "You are going to leave. You are not going to come back. If you so much as need to come within a hundred mile radius of Beacon Hills, for any reason, you are going to call and ask permission first. Or, when I find out about it, and I will find out about it, I will get permission from Scott to come and kill you myself. Agreed?"

Deucalion nods his consent on that point, and then backs away as Nixie, Scott, and Derek walk out. Sighing, Nixie then says to Scott, "Oh, and I'm sorry I threatened to kill him aloud. I'm working on this, I promise." "Hey, I'm not complaining about that one. I threatened to kill Ms. Blake just a while ago. Then Deucalion went ahead and did it anyway, so there went that."

Nixie grins at him, and then says, "So, now for our next problem?" Both Scott and Derek look at her, wondering what in the world is wrong now. And then both laugh when Nixie asks, "Where the hell are we going to get this damn ladder from?"

* * *

"Stiles and I both feel it every day. Just like you said we would. And it makes me think about that quote Ms. Blake used to start our first class." Deaton nods as Scott continues explaining, "Because, when I feel it, it's like I'm looking 'into the heart of an immense darkness'." Nodding again, Deaton asks, "So what do you do instead?"

Looking up at his boss, Scott says, "I look for my friends." Deaton nods again, and before getting into anything else, he asks, "And what about Ms. Blake? Not to change the subject too much, but…" Scott nods in understanding and says, "I don't know. When we went back inside the distillery, her body was gone."

They both look at each other in concern for a moment, but then Scott sighs and says, "But… back to the darkness. We feel it every day. And… I look for my friends. And that helps." Looking up at Deaton again, Scott says, "But Nixie. It isn't… it isn't until I see her that I… that I really feel like there's a light there, penetrating through the darkness, trying to guide me out of it."

Deaton smiles gently, and Scott asks, "Did you know that would happen? With her being the emotional tether? I mean, what if she'd gone under and Stiles or I had…" Deaton shakes his head and says, "No. Nixie… is unique in that sense. I am not entirely sure we'll ever understand why exactly she makes us feel that way. But I've seen it in all of you. When you're worried, she drives it out of you, with sarcasm, or her protective nature. When you're in trouble, those mountains that you claim simply move out of her way; they go running and make a path for her so she can get you out of trouble."

Patting Scott on the back, he says, "Nixie cannot lose you. Now… someday she might. Someday there may in fact be something that she can't save you from, in spite of all her best efforts. She is, in fact, only human. But… it is in the way she strives to protect all of you. It's in the knowledge you all have, in knowing she will always come for you, always try to protect and save you… literally jump in front of bullet, and die and kill for you."

Scott looks up at Deaton again, and the Doc says, "It is in that overprotective nature that you all love about her so much… that ensured to me that she was the only one perfect enough to be a suitable emotional tether. Because she is so assertive in her protectiveness, and it makes it that much more real for all of you. You don't just hear her when she says it, or understand that she's saying it because she loves you all so dearly. You believe her when she says it. You believe it without any shred of doubt."

Scott nods, and then says, "So… now she's our light in the darkness." Deaton nods and says, "But make no mistake. Nixie has always been a ray of light in all of your lives. This experience has just… made it that much more apparent."

Scott nods again, and then says, "Thanks Doc."

* * *

In Alison's bathroom, Nixie is tending to the wound on the back of her neck before moving onto her hip, when Alison knocks and then walks in.

Nixie didn't try to remember locking the door anymore. Alison knew about her scars… and agreed to keep them secret. But Alison's price was to always know. Which is why Nixie had told her to come to the bathroom after she'd talked with her father.

As Alison helps stitch up her right hip again, being as gentle as possible, she tells Nixie, "My dad is going to start training me again. And… I think you should let him train you too." "Sure. Sign me up. Where's the roster?"

Alison grins, and then adds, "But we're going to have a new code." "And what is that going to be?" "Nous protégeons ceux qui ne peuvent pas se protéger eux-mêmes." Alison pauses, and then laughs when Nixie says, "Yeah, okay. I know I'm just a hair less smart than Lydia… but you're gonna have to help me out with that one. Maybe you guys can teach me some French while we're training, because right now, I have no idea what you just said. I only took that class this year to make sure I had at least one with you."

Alison nods, and then says, "We protect those who cannot protect themselves." Nixie watches as Alison continues tending to her, and then says sincerely, "Now that is a code I can definitely agree and get along with. Very nice job." "Thanks. I thought about just borrowing yours… but I didn't want to steal it from you."

And she laughs again when Nixie says, "Good thing too. Love you to death, but I'm not above suing you for copyright infringement." Grinning as well, Nixie says as Alison finishes with her hip, "Thanks." "Sure. You staying for supper?" "Um… yeah! I wouldn't miss Italian night for anything! Well, anything short of a dark druid trying to kill everyone I care about. But we already took care of that, so there."

In the days and nights that followed right after the death of the darach, Nixie became accustomed to a… sort of tugging at her heart. Not a painful or even very noticeable tug. More… it was more a brush against her heart, as though she could feel that someone who was hers, one of her pack, was looking at her, trying to find her so they could see their way out of the dark.

In those moments, she was also immediately sent one, two, or three text messages, depending on which one of the three needed her. Calling her for anything had always been a rule. That would never change. But given what Alison, Scott, and Stiles had gone through… Nixie gave it a new stipulation where they were concerned. Anytime they felt it… that darkness around their hearts that Deaton had warned them about… they were to call her. They were to text her, let her know where they were, and remain there so she could come and find them. Or they were to come to her.

Nixie still doesn't understand why Deaton stressed that she was the only one who could've been the perfect emotional tether. In her opinion, any of them could've done it. They all cared about each other a great deal. But… who was she to argue with their wise emissary.

Besides… there are worse things she could be, than a permanent light in her friends' darkness.

* * *

And that is the final chapter of Season 3a! I hope you all enjoyed what I did with this story. Please let me know, I love hearing what you guys think.

On a side note, I have no idea when I'll begin or finish Season 3b, but that is going to be my next project. And then I'll see what I want to do from there. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read about Nixie and her involvement in the first half of this season.


End file.
